MADRAS, Ore. — Developing a Successful Agritourism Business in Oregon is a new online course for farmers and ranchers interested in adding an agricultural tourism business to their operation. Agritourism includes welcoming visitors onto your farm or ranch to sell products, engage with customers, offer various agritourism activities, enhance the visibility of local farms, and build connections in the community.
Agricultural tourism can provide a new source of revenue and boost sales of agriculture products, possibly employ a family or community member, help with farm succession, and educate the public about agriculture.
This online course was developed by OSU Extension Service along with Oregon partners to help producers learn about the possibilities and complexities of opening farms and ranches to the public.
As a participant, you will learn about the types of agricultural tourism and determine if it is a good fit for your whole farm business. The course includes sections about managing risk, understanding legal requirements, marketing your business, and customer service and hospitality. As you work through the curriculum, you will start an action plan that will help you begin to assess, plan and develop an agricultural tourism business.
The course is self-paced and includes text, videos and worksheets. It is anticipated to take several hours to complete.  You will have opportunity to consult with the course instructors to ask questions and engage in additional activities. Course registration is $20 with scholarships available upon request. Registration is open through March 31, 2022.
To get more information and register for the course, please visit the class website Developing a Successful Agritourism Business in Oregon or the OSU Agricultural Tourism website.
If you have questions about the course or other OSU Agricultural Tourism work please contact Melissa Fery, melissa.fery@
Development of this course is based upon work supported by USDA/NIFA under Award Number 2018-70027-28587.
— Oregon State University
