From pick-your-own patches and interactive farm tours to corn mazes and unique lodging experiences, West Virginia University Extension Service helps agritourism to preserve and promote West Virginia’s diverse and historic culture.
Simply put, agritourism combines agriculture and tourism, but the focus is often less about making money and more about providing visitors with an enjoyable educational experience.
“West Virginia tourism is rooted in nature-based, outdoor activities, but there is this growing interest among travelers for what is called experiential travel. People want to travel like locals — they want to meet the people of the places they visit, see how they live and eat the foods that they eat,” Dee Singh-Knights, WVU Extension Service associate professor and agribusiness economics specialist, said. “And we think West Virginia farms have the right ingredients to help round out our tourism experience.”
While most of our state’s agritourism operations were created out of necessity to help keep the farm afloat, the goal remains the same — to share their passion for agriculture with the public. Agritourism is a year-round venture in West Virginia, conveniently offering residents and out-of-state visitors the opportunity to learn and have fun on the farm no matter the season.
“WVU Extension Service has been a prime resource for us to grow our business and expand into agritourism,” Britney Hervey-Farris, of Family Roots Farm, said.
At Family Roots Farm in Wellsburg, the maple syrup operations require the cold temperatures of winter in order to harvest the sap from their maple trees. During syrup season, Hervey-Farris and her family invite guests to their Century Farm for a variety of maple-centric events, including farm-to-table meals held right in their sugar shack while syrup is being made.
“We feel education is really important, so we try to make everything as hands-on as possible here on the farm,” Hervey-Farris said. “When people learn the process of how something is made or grown, they have more of an appreciation for it.”
In the spring, Family Roots Farm transitions into a U-pick strawberry operation, allowing the public to visit the farm, learn about fruit and vegetable production and harvest their own fresh berries. Events like their strawberry festival and sorghum days, held in the fall, provide additional opportunities for Hervey-Farris and her family to share their love of
agriculture.
Hervey-Farris, a repeat attendee of WVU Extension Service’s Women in Agriculture Conference and Annie’s Project graduate, believes if it wasn’t for the connections her local WVU Extension Service agent, Norm Schwertfeger, helped her make and the training she’s received from Singh-Knights, she and her family wouldn’t be able to pull off the large agritourism events that they enjoy hosting.
“Agritourism is an opportunity, but like everything else, you have to get into it responsibly. And WVU Extension Service is helping our state’s farmers develop the skills they need to be successful with agritourism,” Singh-Knights said.
To find agritourism activities in your area or learn more about incorporating agritourism into your own operation, contact your local WVU Extension Service office.
