Funded through a cooperative research agreement between USDA Agricultural Marketing Service and researchers at the University of Vermont, the project, “Agritourism: Understanding Producer Benefits, Challenges, and Needs throughout the U.S.”, was designed to help answer the question, What does agritourism look like right now across the United States — and what do farms need to thrive while welcoming visitors? 

To do that, the research team combined farm stories (interviews) with national survey data to paint a current, practical picture of what’s working, what’s challenging, and what support operators most need. Through the survey, the team worked to help build and populate the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Local Food Directory for agritourism — supporting visibility for farms that are open to visitors and strengthening national recognition of agritourism as a viable industry.

The project was started in 2023, and completed in 2026.