Agriculture tourism sprouts fields of green

Farms, ranches helped harvest $2.2 billion in '06

Joanne Kelley, Rocky Mountain News

Thursday, October 11, 2007

GRAND JUNCTION - What's old is new again.

In an era of urban living and Disney vacations, Colorado's farms and ranches have begun to appeal to tourists looking for a different kind of travel experience - whether it's sampling local wines with regional foods or helping round up cattle at the end of the day. While the market for such trips is relatively small, visitors spent an estimated $2.2 billion on so-called "agritourism" activities last year.

"It's going to grow, especially if we nurture it a little bit," said Dawn Thilmany, a professor in Colorado State University's Department of Agriculture and Resource Economics. "We're not leading-edge in Colorado, but we're ahead of the curve."

The trend emerged as a hot topic when industry officials from across the state gathered here for two back-to-back conferences on tourism.

Thilmany released survey results showing that 13.2 million visitors spent money last year on agritourism pursuits, which include everything from visits to farmers markets to staying on ranches known for their prime bird-watching habitats.

While the category represents only a small part of overall tourism spending, it could boost the fortunes of agricultural land owners who have long struggled to survive.

"Agriculture needs to diversify," said Brent Warner, an agriculture official from British Columbia, who cited a number of examples of Canadian farmers who increasingly supplement income from crops by bringing people to their farms for concerts or rides, or to buy local products.

For those in agriculture, it can mean preserving the land for future generations. Outside Colorado Springs, Duke Phillips has been hosting visitors at Chico Basin cattle ranch for the past several years.

Phillips initially was skeptical of having guests at the 87,000-acre ranch, but he found the extra money helps carry him through not only droughts but market downturns. He also was surprised to find that paying customers often like to pitch in and work, even while they are on vacation.

"That's what people want - they don't want to sit on a beach," Phillips said. "They come to contribute."

That can mean anything from roping cattle on horseback to fixing fences and burning tumbleweeds.

Despite the supposed demand for such experiences, independent farmers often have trouble making the leap from lone growers to tourist destinations.

In the heavily agricultural southeastern part of the state, for instance, efforts to promote agritourism have been an uphill battle. Farmers and ranchers worry about liability issues, and few of them have any place for guests to stay if they do come to visit.

"We're ramping up ways for ranchers to offer unique lodging experiences - yurts, tents, teepees," said Judy Walden, a Denver-based consultant who works with communities to develop tourism.

Walden is working with 51 ranchers on ways to offer lodging and offer meals that reflect the heritage of culture in the area. The new Colorado Birding Trail that wends through the area has helped create demand for places to stay because much of the key bird habitat sits on privately owned land.

Colorado Agriculture Commissioner John Stulp, who described himself as a "closet birder," noted the trend: "My wife has become a birder. . . . It's turning into quite an industry."

Stulp noted that the relatively established market for attractions such as corn mazes has shown that tourism can be more lucrative for farmers than growing crops.

Colorado's Western Slope wine growers have found that growing grapes is just a start. Tasting rooms at the wineries have produced a whole industry on the side because visitors need somewhere to eat and stay while they are touring the region. Weddings have become a big part of the business and draw a large percentage of guests from outside the state, said Bob Witham of Two Rivers Winery in Grand Junction.

Big draws

• Farm and ranch visits: Bird watchers, hunters and photographers have shown a willingness to pay farmers to stay on their land for recreation.

• Culinary adventures: The growing popularity of farmers markets has sparked interest among urban dwellers in visiting outlying areas for tours. Colorado wine industry's joint marketing effort has raised the state's profile among wine enthusiasts.

• Heritage: Rodeos, fairs and stock shows are a mainstay of the agritourism arena, but visitors increasingly want to visit real farms to get back in touch with agrarian life.

Source: Colorado State University