Agritourism: Prepare and Plan for Guests on Your Farm

Bringing visitors to the farm can be a great way for farmers to add income, but it comes with additional responsibilities. Protecting the safety and health of farm visitors is essential to providing a great experience and protecting your assets. Learn how to plan and prepare for hosting visitors to your farm whether it’s to enjoy a corn maze, apple orchard, pumpkin patch, petting zoo or any other activity you might think of!

If you will be serving or selling food on the farm, you may need a license. Check with the Department of Health and Department of Agriculture in your state. Regulations can be confusing but are in place to keep everyone safe. Talk to your local agencies ahead of time and avoid fines or forced closures.

People from the cities are not exposed to the same germs as farm workers so they might be more likely to get ill from germs found on the farm. Infections passed from animals to humans can make people sick and sometimes cause lifelong problems. Make sure that visits to your attraction won’t make anyone sick by providing plenty of well-stocked handwashing stations. Check out our handwashing video: Farms, Fairs and Fun – Be sure to wash your hands at    • Farms, Fairs, and Fun – Be sure to wa...  

Farming is one of the most dangerous professions in the United States and you’ll be opening your doors to people who are not aware of these dangers. Consider purchasing additional liability insurance to protect your assets. Being aware of these responsibilities and taking measures to address them will help you protect your assets.

For more information and resources on agritourism, visit: http://umash.umn.edu/agritourism/

Produced by the Upper Midwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center (UMASH) in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Health. Funding provided through a joint organizational partnership between the Council of State and territorial Epidemiologist (CSTE) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, provided by CSTE through sub-awards from the CDC cooperative agreement numbers: 5U380T000145. Additional funding provided through a cooperation agreement from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), U54OH010170.

This video is provided for informational and educational purposes only. The video contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of CDC/NIOSH or any other funders.

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