Real Estate Law Blog

The Rise of Agritourism & Important Considerations

Agritourism is becoming an increasingly popular way for rural property owners to earn additional income from agricultural properties.   In additional to more traditional farm tours and seasonal activities such as hay rides, corn mazes and u-pick fruits, farm owners are devising new ways to bring people to their door by offering more entertainment-oriented activities. Some farmers are offering their barns as venues for weddings, parties, dances and other special events.  Others are opening their homes to visitors for vacations so guests can experience life on a working farm by helping out with routine farm chores such as feeding or herding the livestock, milking the animals, making cheese, collecting eggs, picking vegetables and preparing farm fresh meals.   This may sound simple and easy to accomplish but often those who want to offer agritourism activities on their rural properties are blindsided when they run in to unanticipated difficulties with regulatory authorities over building code, fire code or zoning issues. More >