Agritourism in the Adirondacks Region of New York

Great Opportunities for Tourists and Locals

Many people are finding out that Tom Sawyer was right all along. When forced to whitewash the fence by his Aunt Polly he got "help" by acting as though it was the greatest opportunity a kid could have.

So it is with "Agritourism". It is different from Tom's plan in that people want to go to farms to help and to learn; they do have a great opportunity. They want to learn about growing food and animals; they want to learn about who grows the food and animals and they want to have a "hands on" experience.

As with the stereotypical "Dude Ranch", people are learning that farms are places for fun and excitement.

You will find several approaches to this modern phenomenon. People may involve themselves with the actual operation of the farm; people will take advantage of a program offered by the farm such as a hayrack ride or, folks may even buy, for example, a row of vegetables, a fruit tree or an animal; tend to it and then personally benefit from the harvest.

One General area that stands out is in New York State and is called Adirondack. It is drawing people at an ever-growing rate.

Some of the popular farms include Eagle Mills (Broadalbin, NY); The Alpacas of Rain Dance Pond (Dodgeville, NY); Brookfield Farms (Granville, NY) and Swiss'er Sweet Maple (Castorland, NY).

When you approach agritourism from a produce standpoint you may be involved with "on-property" growth and harvest, or you may opt for the "farmer's market"; the more retail side of the farming business. You will find the prices (and profits) too varied to list.

One example of agritourism involves the Alpacas where you may spend from $10,000 to $20,000 to be involved in the raising of an Alpaca. It isn't all about food.

Agritourism is another futuristic opportunity and experience that you will find maturing along with the new Baby Boomer population. It reflects the new thinking of learning and applying that new knowledge to more than one lifetime love.

References:

agmrc.com
rd-alpaca.com