{"id":6150,"date":"2025-01-30T10:32:47","date_gmt":"2025-01-30T14:32:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/extension\/?p=6150"},"modified":"2025-02-10T11:59:13","modified_gmt":"2025-02-10T15:59:13","slug":"agritourism-in-maryland-the-challenges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/extension\/agritourism-in-maryland-the-challenges\/","title":{"rendered":"Agritourism in Maryland: The Challenges"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Prem Bhandari<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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U-pick farms are popular agritourism operations in Maryland. (Photo by Todd Dudek\/Ag Communications)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

U.S. small- and medium-sized farms face a variety of challenges, but those specific to agritourism, a growing trend, have been less known.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Between 2017 and 2022, the U.S. lost 141,733 farms and more than 20 million acres of farmland. Most impacted were small-scale, minority and disadvantaged farmers because they cannot compete with the large-scale farmers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet many small and medium-sized operations are bettering their sustainability by moving toward agritourism, a move that diversifies their income sources. These farmers have opened their farms to the public through offerings including active involvement on the farm, recreation, and education (also known as agritourism farms). Data points to a growth in agritourism in both Maryland and the nation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Survey Finds Major Challenges<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The types of challenges facing agritourism farmers and operators of Maryland was previously lacking in empirical evidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore Extension collected data in a survey from 91 Maryland agritourism operators in 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of the five challenges presented to the farm operators during the survey, seasonality and weather was the most frequently referred challenge (61%) followed by liability costs (38%), availability of market (22%), tax problems (13%), and the need for training (6%).<\/p>\n\n\n

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Other reported challenges<\/p>\n\n\n\n