Agritourism

Are there even any locals interested in visiting spots like this? It seems like everyone here just flocks to the big cities or heads to the coast or some massive Western European capital for vacation!
Do foreigners
actually bother with this kind of agritourism around here?
How much money can you actually make doing this—is it worth the hassle? And what does it take to run an agritourism setup (not counting all the endless paperwork and forms...)
How common is this in California?

Question:
If you had the choice, would you rather spend 7 days in the countryside this spring—hiking through nature, eating lamb, blah blah blah—or spend 7 days at the beach this summer?
Is a 2-3 hour drive to reach untouched nature too far for you if you're just looking for a weekend getaway?

I mean, what do I know? It feels like some folks just haven't truly left their small-town roots behind yet, so they don't quite vibe with the city life the way Vani does.

Walking around the countryside is honestly pretty chill and scenic, but let me tell you, the idea of hauling manure around or spreading hay just doesn't do anything for me. Not my cup of tea at all!😁 😁

I run trips for kids through an agency—mostly elementary schoolers—but now I’m looking into putting together a program specifically for preschools. I usually take them out to this agritourism farm up in Iowa.
The owner there is great; he wears traditional folk outfits and gives them tours of the barns, shows off all the old-school tools and crafts, and lets them see the farm animals. They’ve even got horses and wagons, plus some ponies too. The guy always whips up some homemade crescents or donuts and some elderberry juice. The kids absolutely love it.
He's actually working on setting up a wine cellar right now, so pretty soon we might have something geared toward the older crowd too.😉

Drew Young10 said:I organize trips for kids through an agency—mostly elementary schoolers—but now I’m looking into developing a program for preschoolers too. I take them out to an agritourism farm in Iowa.
The owner there wears traditional folk attire while showing them the barns, the old tools, the local crafts, and all the farm animals. They even have horses and carriages, plus some ponies. The host always whips up some homemade crescents or donuts and some elderberry juice. The kids absolutely love it.
That same owner is currently renovating a wine cellar, so soon there will be something for the older crowd as well.😉

Whereabouts in Iowa? Near John Doe?

Nicholas Doyle2 said:Question:
Would you guys be interested in spending seven days this spring out in the countryside? You know the drill—hiking through nature, eating lamb, blah, blah, blah...

Not even in my wildest dreams.

Nathan Wells45 said:Whereabouts in Iowa? Near John Doe?

Not in Small Town, USA.
Smith Family Agritourism

Nicholas Doyle2 said:Are there even any locals interested in visiting places like this? It seems like everyone here just moves to the big cities and spends their vacations at the beach or in some major Western European capital!
Do foreigners
actually visit this kind of tourism in our neck of the woods?
How profitable is it really to run something like this? What does it actually take to get into agritourism—aside from all the paperwork and forms?
How common is this in California?

Question:
Would you rather spend seven days in the spring out in the countryside, hiking through nature, riding horses, eating lamb, and all that, or would you prefer seven days at the beach during the summer?
And would a two or three-hour drive to reach untouched nature be too far for you if you were just looking for a weekend getaway?

Absolutely! Just tell me where I can find a great weekend spot with amazing food, horseback riding, and maybe some fishing. That sounds way better than a full week away.

casualfox9 said:Of course. Tell me where one can spend a decent weekend enjoying good food, horseback riding, and perhaps some fishing. It’s far better for the weekends than the entire work week.

You didn't ask me, but if you're looking for decent food, horseback riding, or fishing, you might want to check out the Smith agritourism farm in Small Town, USA.

Drew Young10 mentioned him.

Perhaps you should try over there?

There are tons of them out in California, though I grew up near Indianapolis in a little place called Small Town, USA, "dobrovita"

Nicholas Doyle2 said:There are plenty of them in California, though I was near Indianapolis in a town called Small Town, USA, where they call it "goodness."

Wait, is Small Town, USA near Columbus??!!!
😕

You've got three different John Doe locations in America.
Zip Code 31220, John Doe 43226, John Doe 49218.

Nicholas Doyle2 said:The question is:
Would you rather spend 7 days in the countryside this spring—hiking through nature, eating lamb, blah, blah—or spend 7 days at the beach this summer?
?

The ocean, always...👍 As for the countryside—maybe when I'm 70, once all those crowded coastal tourist spots become nothing but crowds that bother me. Otherwise, there's no way.

When it comes to the interior, I'm only interested in rivers.
The Mrežnica River rules...😎

I’m all about agritourism, but only if it’s up in the mountains, not down in the plains...

I haven't been to America yet, because for me, the coast is everything. I'd much rather spend my money on that...

I totally agree that agritourism in America is still pretty much in its infancy. I mean, some guy just throws out a few old tools, grabs a couple of farm animals that look exotic to city dwellers, serves up some rustic bread and salt along with some homemade moonshine, and suddenly—boom—he’s running an agritourism business.👎
If you actually want to succeed, you have to provide top-tier service and great food, all while maintaining that peaceful, authentic rural vibe.
In places like Iowa, people try to turn a run-down little shack into a full-blown working farm estate, but let's be honest, it rarely works out.
You really need to offer some kind of hands-on experience—letting guests pick fruit, try their hand at making moonshine or preserves, maybe even some olive picking,
That’s the direction I’d take if I were trying to grow tourism.

Nicholas Doyle2 said:Are there actually any locals interested in visiting places like this?
How much of a thing is this in California?

There’s interest, but it’s still in its infancy here. It’s such a shame we aren't capitalizing on the inland areas; they have gorgeous nature and perfect setups for agritourism. There are a few spots like this in the California countryside. Plus, you can be at the coast in just half an hour. Honestly, people would probably be surprised by how many folks crave those landscapes, regardless of whether they live by the ocean or not...

This agritourism spot sits just above Eureka with views
of the Gulf of Mexico

http://www.adriatica.net/villas/oraj_hr.htm

Other stays in California can be found at www.istra.com
under 'agritourism.'

The heart of California is honestly pretty stunning.

One of the best parts about agritourism is that you get to dig into home-cooked meals made with ingredients that are super fresh and grown right there on the spot.

I really think we could pull in a lot of our local guests with setups like that.

In my neck of the woods, we have the perfect setup for growing some serious agritourism (around the Moslavina area)... so I’m wondering, who actually gives a damn about that besides old folks looking for a nostalgia trip? Is there any real money to be made here?

It certainly does work; both the younger crowd and the older generation are interested. I know a guy from the Netherlands who’s lived here for a few years; in a final moment of impulse, he bought a house out in a tiny rural area with maybe four other homes. He renovated everything, and since deer and other wildlife roam free around there, the vibe is perfect. Business is steady—people are constantly dropping by, including Americans, Japanese, and various Europeans. Mostly foreigners, really. It definitely pays off if you execute the concept properly.

I think that's an excellent way to approach tourism; you just have to put in a little more effort.
I think that’s quite developed in California, where I spend a lot of my time.