Agritourism and Land Use: Good Neighbors and Good Business for Rural Resilience

Progress report for ENE23-184

Project Type: Professional Development Program
Funds awarded in 2023: $149,900.00
Projected End Date: 11/30/2026
Grant Recipient: WVU Extension - Mercer County Commision
Region: Northeast
State: West Virginia
Project Leader:
Jodi Richmond
WVU Extension - Mercer County Commision
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Project Information

Summary:

Agritourism operations increasingly encounter conflict with neighbors over noise, parking, traffic, and other issues, as well as with local government regulators on issues involving zoning and land use. The definition of “agritourism” differs from state-to-state and is often unclear. Although the term implies a connection between the farming operation and tourism activities, operators increasingly employ bounce houses and other party games, haunted houses, petting zoos, hay rides, concerts, movies and other activities that lack a clear connection to the agricultural operation. Sometimes production and tourism activities take place on different parcels of land. On the other hand, local land use regulations often require a more direct connection between the activity and the production on the premises. Neighbors are increasingly complaining about the impacts of these operations.

This project gathers data this important but often overlooked aspect of agritourism, and educates producers, service providers and others on how to minimize conflicts while maximizing returns to the operator. Innovations include targeting land use planners, local government officials, and attorneys in the education efforts.

Land use planners and local government officials play a critical role in the viability of agritourism but often lack knowledge of agriculture and agritourism. Agritourism operators are critically impacted by local land use regulations but often lack knowledge of the regulations or how the regulations are formulated. This project bridges the gap by educating each of these groups on the concern of the other group.

Four  workshops will train ag service providers such as extension agents, government officials, and insurance agents.   These ASPs will conduct work with the grant team to conduct at least ten workshops for agritourism operators.  Additional virtual workshops will be held for both ASPs and agritourism operators.

At least one webinar qualifying for Certificate Maintenance Credits (CMs) will be held targeting land use planners. Land use planners who are members of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) will receive CM credits, but the webinar(s) will be open to all. The webinar(s) will be held in collaboration with the Mid-Atlantic Planning Collaboration. Prior workshops with the Collaboration have attracted an average of almost 300 live attendees, with many more viewing the webinar asynchronously on the Collaboration’s YouTube page. A previous webinar on agritourism by the Collaboration drew 275 live viewers, with 197 YouTube views to date https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2YGqJIhM4s&t=232s .

The grant will foster collaboration and connection between ASPs and agritourism operators, multiplying the impact of the grant.

Performance Target:

200 agricultural service providers will advise a total of 900 agritourism operators in the liability of their operation, risk management coverage and zoning issues. Of those 900 Agritourism operators, 800 will examine the risk management and zoning issues of their operations and 675 will consult with insurance agents, ag service providers or their neighbors related to these issues as a result. 

The long-term impact of the program will be increasing the profitability and sustainability of agritourism operations as a lucrative farm diversification strategy as measured in a follow-up evaluation.  Agritourism operators will consult with local government officials and neighbors prior to instituting new agritourism activities and at least 100 will proactively serve on local committees to collaboratively develop local rules and regulations for agritourism as measured in a follow-up survey.

Introduction:

This project fosters collaboration and connection between ASPs and agritourism operators by first determining the greatest perceived needs of agritourism operators and training ASPs that work with them to meet those needs.  The host university delayed releasing funds but the team has met several times to form project teams and begun developing informaion related to three project areas (litigation and legal concerns, the agritourism operator survey, and site visit questions for the case studies.  The project will be working with another project which has a nationwide agritourism operator survey and has submitted questions to that project.  That survey will be distributed next month (February 2024) and will close in April 2024.  

Educational Approach

Educational approach:

Investigators will first survey and assess the existing landscape for agritourism in each of the four states. An assessment of the number of type of agritourism operations in each state will be made. Individual agritourism operators will be surveyed as to primary concerns and barriers The results of these efforts will be compiled and summarized.

 

While the initial assessments are being made, the legal and land use planning background will also be assessed. Existing laws and regulations will be collected, assessed and categorized. Frequency of conflict will be gauged by reviewing news reports and a database of court cases in each state. Definitions of agritourism and related terms will be collected, analyzed and compared within and between states. These findings will be compared and combined with the results of the interviews with operators to determine existing conflicts and barriers. Land use planners and local government officials will also be interviewed for their views on agritourism operations.

 

The results of all of this background assessment will be combined to develop a curriculum for webinars and workshops. Project will conduct webinars or workshops for at least 300 service providers including extension educators, food safety assessors, insurance agents, tourism professionals, and service providers from the Department of Ag, USDA, FSA, etc. Certified land use providers will participate through continuing education webinars. The participants will be recruited and retained by working with existing professional organizations whenever appropriate to offer continuing education for lawyers, service providers, etc.

 

Agritourism Operators will be able to:

 

  • Analyze whether particular activities qualify as agritourism
  • Identify potential activities that may not be covered through liability insurance and either seek coverage or, if not coverable, discontinue the practice
  • Develop and implement plans for diversification and income sustainability
  • Guide agritourism operators in engaging the community prior to the initiating agritourism events
  • Demonstrate techniques in engaging community members in the decision-making process

 

Service providers will be able to:

 

  • Identify activities are and are not considered agritourism in their state (all service providers)
  • Be aware of potential land use issues and have the ability to refer agritourism operators to the correct agencies if needed (all service providers)
  • Help providers identify what activities they need coverage for in their situation (insurance providers)

In addition, the workshops will focus on ways to work with local government officials, land use planners, agritourism operators, and neighbors to ensure that the agritourism operations minimize conflicts. Minimizing conflicts will allow operators to maximize profits. These and other benefits of collaboratively and cooperatively integrating agritourism into communities will be explained and discussed.

 

These workshops will seek to support diversity and inclusion by actively recruiting both participants that qualify as and participants that work with historically underserved and disadvantaged audiences such as minorities, females, veterans and economically disadvantaged farmers or ranchers.

 

A workbook will be developed to outline best practices for agritourism operators and communities to balance operator and community concerns and needs. Definitions of agritourism and related terms will be collected, assessed and compared in the workbook. Factsheets related to key areas will also be developed. The publications will be broadly available on the internet.

Milestones

Milestones:

VERIFICATION of LEARNING OUTCOMES

All participants will receive an initial questionnaire to assess their current baseline attitudes, knowledge, skills and confidence, and particular learning interests related to the project area.  Post-training (4-6 months) follow-up assessment will be conducted to determine stakeholders’ feedback and assess learning outcomes. These surveys will also assess additional learning needs and interests.

 

Timeline

Oct. 2022                  Submit Proposal
May 2023                 Meetings with state contacts to refine timeline, goals and development of potential advisory committee members, begin compiling

                                    information related to where lists of agritourism operators can be found for each state

  • Status:
  • Accomplishments:

July 2023                  Preliminary meetings begin with state contacts and establish working groups for the first three projects (legal definitions & current

                                    zoning litigation,  potential questions for agritourism operators survey, development of case study layout, and potential agritourism                                      operators in each state for the case studies (20 sites). 

  • Status:
  • Accomplishments:

July-Aug 2023          Jesse Richardson (legal advisor compiles in-depth information related to litigation and zoning)

Aug 2023                   All state contacts complete CITI educational training related to grant administration, funds release at host institution, contact

                                     potential advisory committee members, identify underserved populations

  • Status:
  • Accomplishments:

Dec 2023                  Meet with advisory committee to discuss grant, each workgroup presented current plan and allowed 30 days for feedback/review      

  • Status:
  • Accomplishments:

Jan 2024                  Committee submitted agritourism  operator survey questions to  be included with the national agritourism operator survey; Jodi

                                    Richmond will complete the required training to work on the national project to have access to the national data to use it for this

project

  • Status:
  • Accomplishments:

------------ Targets not yet met below this line          
                                    
Feb 2024                 Agritourism operator survey will be distributed nationwide

  • Status:
  • Accomplishments:

March 2024            Meet with advisory committee to determine schedule and assignment of farm tours and begin tours (May 2024 – December  2024)

                                   Apply for IRB exemption or approval when questions are determined

  • Status:
  • Accomplishments:

April 2024              Nationwide agritourism operator survey closes

  • Status:
  • Accomplishments:

May 2024                Begin development of workbook, curriculum, and fact sheets related to agritourism zoning and legal definitions

  • Status:
  • Accomplishments:

Aug. - Nov. 2024    Contact 1030+ service providers with recruitment announcements about educational programming (350+ land use planners, 40+ food safety assessors, 60+ extension educators, 50+ department of ag representatives, 30+ tourism professionals, 200+ insurance providers, 100+ tax preparers, 100+ other ag service providers, 100+ community development board members)

  • Status:
  • Accomplishments:

Sept.- Dec. 2024            Conduct six state and regional educational programs with 300 service providers 

  • Status:
  • Accomplishments:

Jan. 2025                         Compile case studies of agritourism operators     

  • Status:
  • Accomplishments:

                           
July - Dec. 2025             Data analysis

  • Status:
  • Accomplishments:

May- Dec 2026               Reporting and fact sheet development 

  • Status:
  • Accomplishments:

Milestone Activities and Participation Summary

Educational activities and events conducted by the project team:

2 Curricula, factsheets or educational tools
4 Other educational activities: 3 planning/strategy meetings, 1 meeting with advisory committee

Participants in the project’s educational activities:

9 Extension
2 Nonprofit
4 Agency
8 Farmers/ranchers

Performance Target Outcomes

Performance Target Outcomes - Service Providers

Target #1

Target: number of service providers who will take action to educate/advise farmers:

200

Target: actions the service providers will take:

200 agricultural service providers will advise a total of 900 agritourism operators in the liability of their operation, risk management coverage and zoning issues.

Target: number of farmers the service providers will educate/advise:

900

Activities for farmers conducted by service providers:

Performance Target Outcomes - Farmers

Target #1

Target: number of farmers who will make a change/adopt of practice:

800

Target: the change or adoption the farmers will make:

800 farmers will examine the risk management and zoning issues of their operations.

Target #2

Target: number of farmers who will make a change/adopt of practice:

675

Target: the change or adoption the farmers will make:

675 farmers will consult with insurance agents, ag service providers or their neighbors related to these issues as a result.

Target #3

Target: number of farmers who will make a change/adopt of practice:

100

Target: the change or adoption the farmers will make:

Agritourism operators will consult with local government officials and neighbors prior to instituting new agritourism activities and at least 100 will proactively serve on local committees to collaboratively develop local rules and regulations for agritourism as measured in a follow-up survey.

Information Products

    Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or SARE.