For the third year in a row, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers has declared the last week of September as Wisconsin Agricultural Tourism Week.
“We continue to see increasing public demand to meet farmers and visit farms of all types,” said Governor Evers. “Families and individuals are looking for experiences that only working farms can provide – relaxation, entertainment, education, food and adventure.”
Farm tourism continues to grow, and visitors can enjoy a wide range of activities including farm-to-table events, wine tastings, harvest festivals, craft breweries, distilleries, farm weddings, art tours, baking classes and sheepdog competitions to to name just a few.
“More and more people are getting into cars and traveling to farms,” said Sylvia Burgos Toftness, a board member of the association Wisconsin Agricultural Tourism Association (MOON).
According to Allied Market Research, visitors are looking for farm stays, education and ecotourism to satisfy their curiosity about rural and farm life.
“Wisconsin agricultural producers are willing and ready to meet this demand by offering a friendly on-farm experience,” Burgos Toftness said.
“Our website, www.wiagtourism.commakes it easier to find an afternoon or weekend for an ag venture,” said Sheila Everhart, executive director of WATA. “Our website is easy to use and inclusive interactive map that helps visitors find all kinds of activities, food and drinks. WATA member farms include petting zoos, barns, wineries, orchards and berry patches, pasture trails, corn mazes, tree farms, pumpkin patches and more.”
According to the latest US Census of Agriculture report, nationally, the value of the agricultural tourism industry tripled from $202 million in 2002 to $949 million in 2017, an boost of almost 370%. This steady growth is part of a immense global trend.
Wisconsin’s deep agricultural foundations combined with a energetic tourism industry provide a powerful economic engine. Agriculture contributes more than $104.8 billion annually to the Wisconsin economy. There are 64,100 farms in the state covering 14.2 million acres, and the average farm size is 222 acres. Annually, 435,700 jobs are employed in agriculture, which constitutes 11.8% of employment in the state.
The Wisconsin Department of Tourism saw overall tourism growth in 2021, generating a total economic impact of $20.9 billion, a 21% boost over 2020. In 2022, Wisconsin hosted more than 111.1 million trips, generating $1.5 billion in state and local taxes.
“Many small and medium-sized family farms in Wisconsin need the revenue generated by tourism,” Everhart said. “We must continue to improve our regulatory environment so that agricultural tourism and innovation can thrive, and help our farmers, ranchers and foresters meet the growing demand for agricultural education, experience, food, feed, fuel and fiber.”
