Agritourism: Make Organics Known

Growth in the organic industry is very possible, and this growth may come from many avenues in the future. There are so many choices--from marketing through Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) to farmers' markets to a new initiative: agritourism. Agritourism is defined as "the practice of touring agricultural areas to see farms and often to participate in farm activities." Due to the noted difference in organic farming, opportunities for agritourism success for organic producers are endless.

Agritourism Offers a Taste of Farm Living

Ed Martsolf, bespectacled and weathered with a thick peppery beard, works the scenic meadows of this mountain near Morrilton. The views are panoramic and the road seldom traveled.

One recent afternoon, Martsolf was pushing around a wheelbarrow near his barn. His niece was filling jars with honey, unbinding brochures and firing up PowerPoint. It was a quiet afternoon, and then....

A 40-foot tour bus rumbled up, with all the attendant squeaks, squeals and smells. It crunched the white gravel drive in front of Martsolf ’s shop, and dozens of tourists stepped onto his farm.

Read the entire story from Northwest Arkansas News Source here.