A Carlsbad flower farm has become a tourist destination Farmers are discovering they have more to sell than the crops they grow. Quaint lifestyles, a rural getaway and a connection with history are commodities that can be offered to people who live in urban settings, long for a simpler life and have money to spend. The increasing popularity of the farm experience is driving a new agri-tourism movement in California and providing a source of revenue that can help sustain small, family farmers. The University of California is at the forefront of agri-tourism development, helping identify opportunities and increase farmers' entrepreneurial skills. Agri-tourism takes many forms.
Roadside stands and farmers' markets offer farm-fresh produce and interaction with growers.
Farm stays, ag tours, bed and breakfasts and dude ranches give tourists the fresh air, open space and relaxation of country life. The visitors' experience can be enhanced with home-cooked meals, fresh pies and other desserts, agriculturally themed gift shops and picnic areas. Each additional attraction adds to the farmer's profits. We can help sustain them by creating structures, strategies and support networks for agri-tourism attractions. Jolly is leading a diverse group of UC staff, farmers, farm industry representatives, tour operators, educators and many others in an informal agri-tourism working group.