(The Center Square) – Agricultural tourism is booming, and Illinois farmers are in position to benefit.
According to the 2022 U.S. Census of Agriculture, the income generated from agritourism and recreational services nationally grew about 33% since the 2017 census to about $1.26 billion.
University of Illinois Professor of Food and Agricultural Law Bryan Endres said Illinois is well-positioned, because the state has amazing farmland and huge metropolitan areas.
“A lot of research done by the USDA’s Economic Research Service has shown that the most successful agritourism operations need to have some proximity to large population centers, and we have that in Illinois,” Endres said.
Wayne Sirles of Rendleman Orchards in Alto Pass said people from around the Midwest come to visit his farm.
“We actually work with a lot of other businesses as one of the destination points for people that want to come and spend a whole week here,” Sirles said.
Sirles added that tourism is helping his farm overcome the sometimes-declining times.
Professor Endres said we should think of agritourism and agritainment as part of outdoor recreation.
“To the extent you can bring farming, agricultural production or animals or all those things to the public, they’re excited about experiencing these opportunities,” Endres said.
Although there are initial investment costs, Endres said agritourism offers farmers the chance to diversify and involve family members in the farming operation.
“It can be a really nice opportunity to revitalize rural economies (and) provide labor opportunities for local residents, because you need to have people on the farm to take care of these visitors,” Endres explained.
Endres says farmers who open up to the public have to consider risks and potential liabilities.
“That’s another thing that we’re looking at here at the University of Illinois. How do you do risk management? Managing risk on a production farm is one thing, but if you’re going to be inviting people in there, there’s the potential for injuries. What sort of insurance products do you have or how do you just minimize the risk,” Endres asked.
Since 2022, the state of Illinois has offered the Agritourism Liability Insurance Tax Credit, which covers up to $1,000 of liability premiums paid by agritourism operators during the taxable year.