Agritourism is the Adventure you Never Knew you Needed...

A lot of people may be wondering, what exactly is Agritourism? It sounds a touch made up, but trust me, it isn't- and I guarantee that each person who reads this blog entry has experienced some form of agritourism in their life. Don't believe me? Pumpkin patches, wineries, apple orchards, and petting zoos- Boom! Those are just a few examples that I could think of, and chances are, they cover practically everyone who would ever see this post, and I wasn't even trying very hard.

Agritourism, by Google definition, is "...the practice of combining agricultural activities with tourism and hospitality to attract visitors to farms, ranches, or other agricultural businesses, often for recreational, educational, or entertainment purposes". If I was a walking dictionary myself, I could not imagine a more straight-forward explanation than that (which is a celebration for Agriculture as whole, considering almost nothing in our beloved industry is straight-forward), however I am not, in fact, a walking dictionary so let me add a human's touch with a bit more to the story that I'd like to take the time to explain...

I'll begin by prefacing how this topic is of professional and personal importance, and although my career in agriculture spans six years, two universities, and a long stint of post-grad unemployment, it has never once included agritourism. At least, not professionally anyway. I bring this up to highlight that while I am considered somewhat of an expert in the industry, these words come from the side of me that sees how much the professional side of our life tends to overlap with the personal.

As a small child, my family would visit the local fair every year in August. The lights, rides, and infinite array of artery-clogging fair food were a sight to behold far and wide in our little community. I would count down the days, and plan my outfits with the perfect mixture of "cool", "cute", and "ride functional" (that meant no skirts and absolutely no white shoes). When the weekend came, the 25-minute drive to the fairground felt like forever, but for a very particular reason. I knew the lights, rides, and tasty treats would be there all night for me to enjoy-no worry there, but the one thing that I knew I would absolutely need to see first and foremost was the infamous, the marvelous, Duquoin State Fair Petting Zoo. There were goats, bunnies, and miniature ponies nestled together under a large white tent. The line was no joke, and kids would go round after round grabbing feed from the buckets and shoving their tiny fingers through the silver wire gates. I waited for my turn in awe at my proximity to these creatures. Horse tails wagging as they accepted the bounty, children screaming with each tickle of the goat's tongue, and the complete synergy between farmer and community that formed an unspoken bond and opportunity for connection that kept us coming back year after year. I would like to say that my career in agriculture began at that very moment. With me, kneeling face-to-face with that bunny, hay prickling my knees, and a smile on my face, but I can't. Because life, much akin to agriculture, is never that straight-forward...but that's a different story. However, it did take those years in agriculture to look back and realize how enriching moments like those were for me and for the community that surrounded me. I have spent dozens of hours in a classroom, hundreds of hours hunched over at my desk, and thousands of dollars out of my pocket-all in the pursuit of that feeling I got that day at the fair and other days after; the feeling that my education could be gained through the accumulation of a many tiny, beautiful moments.

Agritourism is not just about pacifying your children with some mundane activity, after all, that's what tablets are for! What keeps us picking pumpkins every October and savoring the sweet taste of wine cultured from the grapes that are right before your eyes is almost impossible to describe, but with each word I type, I keep trying. Why sit at a winery with your girlfriends on a sunny afternoon, sipping fresh sangria as the laughter of your neighbors fills your ears, when you can just drive to Walmart and bring a bottle home! No offense to Walmart (Okay, maybe some offense), but it should be clear how different those experiences are. Like Google said: "...combining agricultural activities with tourism". On the one hand, you have food, the very substance that we use to survive, and on the other hand, you have experiences that are designed to make you smile, connect, and walk away feeling better than when you came.  Agritourism reminds us that agriculture isn’t just about a bottom line or meeting a production quota—it’s about connection. Whether it’s through a vineyard stroll, a school garden, or a tiny goat named Hershey at the fair, these moments allow us to feel grounded in where our food comes from and who we share it with. That’s the heart of agritourism: it nourishes more than our bodies—it nourishes the minds and hearts of our communities. And through Urban Sprout Travel Markets, I hope to keep creating spaces where those little, beautiful moments keep happening.