by Kristen Tyson, M.A.
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| Historic Texas Home |
In the spirit of fall, I began to
think about unique ways that my family could enjoy the outdoors in new and fun
ways. It’s the perfect season to camp and hike, but sometimes the inner child in
me just wants to have some fun. A great way to benefit your local farmers and
decorate for the season is to visit a place that supports Nature Tourism, or as
it’s better known, Agritourism.
Yes, you read that right,
Agritourism, and it’s becoming very popular throughout the nation. Agritourism
is defined by the American Farm Bureau as, “an enterprise at a working farm,
ranch or agriculture plant conducted for the enjoyment of visitors that
generates income for the owner¹.” There is even a website
dedicated to helping you find the perfect “agrication”. This cute article from Texas Highways offers a glimpse at what a Farm-cation could do
for your family.
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| A little boy doing what boys do |
According to Nature Tourism
Development, there are over 400 businesses in Texas that offer:
Day camps with hiking or kayaking
options
Farm tours for schools and families
Self-harvesting of produce (fruit,
vegetables, nuts, dairy, eggs)
Hay rides and games
Bed and breakfast options
Corn mazes
Christmas tree harvesting
Wildlife hunting leases
Remote wedding venues
Petting zoos
Data has shown that farms/ranches
offering these types of recreational activities, in addition to their core agricultural
practices, earned nearly twice as much income as businesses that did not. Not
only does it allow farms/ranches to advertise their product in a new and
creative way, but it helps them teach the community about their way of life.
With most of the population living in a city or suburb, it’s hard to teach kids
about nature and why taking care of the land is so important. You can talk to
kids in a classroom until you are blue in the face, but when you take them
straight to the source, it is so much better. Agritourism farmers and ranchers,
who often get a bad rap for exploiting the land and precious natural resources,
are able to show the community and visitors from abroad that there are creative
ways to bring money back to the land, thereby providing a buffer income so that
the land can lay fallow in years of drought or flooding, when production might
have been down.
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| Generations of gardening experience being shared |
There are numerous options in Texas
alone that provide a glimpse into the agricultural life and allow city slickers
and urbanites the chance to get back to their roots. Thanks to our state’s
diverse ecoregions and abundant natural resources, you get the pick of the
litter when it comes to finding Agritourism activities (puns intended). Dust off
your cowboy boots and head to your local farm or ranch to help support local
families and their businesses. You just might end up learning something new
about the land, and about yourself!
I’m a Little Pumpkin
I’m a little
pumpkin
Orange and
round.
Here is my stem
I grew in the
ground.
When I get all
cut up,
Don’t you
shout!
Just open me up
And scoop me
out!
-Anonymous
Ode to a Pumpkin
Pumpkin,
pumpkin where are you from?
Did you travel
very far to get to where you are?
Are you from a
family farm that always toils the land,
Or did you see
the smile of a child who picked you with a gentle hand?
Pumpkin,
pumpkin your story is grand
Should I keep
you on the porch or cook you in a pie-pan?
-K Tyson, Texas
A&M AgriLife Extension Service
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| A little garden art |
The websites listed are just suggestions to get you
started. Not every farm/ranch is included, so do some research and search for
local farms/ranches on the internet or Facebook!
·
For more
information about Nature Tourism, visit:
http://naturetourism.tamu.edu/agritourism-businesses-4/
·
For
information about a few Texas Pick-Your-Own Farms or Christmas Tree farms,
visit:
Citations: