Agritourism | Food Systems

This article from the USDA publication Rural Development Perspectives explores the prospects of direct farm marketing for bolstering farm income and promoting rural development. The article notes the rise in interest and activity around direct farm marketing and its positive economic and social impacts, including the addition of a recreational component to food consumption through agricultural tourism. Though according to the 1992 Census of Agriculture only a small minority of farms generated significant income through direct sales, the social aspects may be as important as the economic benefits, if not more so. Additional efforts may be needed to draw urban consumers to communities and farms in more remote locations.