PRST STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID OMAHA, NE PERMIT NO. 36
Volume VIII, Statewide Issue 2
March 2014
Steve Kenkel opens his rural Earling farmstead to hundreds of visitors from around the state every other year for Hybrid Corn Pioneers Heritage Days. The event gives Kenkel a chance to show his corn implements museum and guests can also view historic agriculture practices, such as corn picking and husking by hand. Outside of heritage days, visitors can drop by Kenkel’s farmstead to see his museum and a corn plot containing three generations of seed corn. Guests can expect to find a unique link back to lost farming practices and machinery. Photo by Greg Forbes
Vacation ag-ventures Agritourism growing in popularity for Iowans
by Greg Forbes In the last decade, a growing number of families across the United States have replaced vacations to bustling cities and tropical beaches with fresh and fun trips nearby to show appreciation for one of the backbones of the nation’s economy. Agritourism, defined by Meriam-Webster Dictionary as the practice of touring agricultural areas to see farms and participate in farm activities, produced an estimated $566 million income with 23,350 farms in agritourism according to the 2007 Census of Agriculture. To support Iowa’s growing agritourism industry, the Value Added Ag Program, facilitated by Iowa State University (ISU) Extension, administers the Visit Iowa Farms program. According to the Visit Iowa Farms website, www.visitiowafarms.org, the program was established to help promote and expand agricultural-related businesses in Iowa. The Visit Iowa Farms website also includes an interactive map where individuals can identify agritourism activities in a number of categories across the state. Agritourism businesses include you-pick-it farms (pumpkin patches and apple orchards), petting zoos, nature hikes, country stays, farmers’ markets, vineyards and even retail stores that offer farm raised and handmade products. Craig Tordsen, program manager for ISU Extension, ex-
plained the interest in agritourism in Iowa has grown because of an increased appreciation of agriculture and rural life. “It seems to be growing here in rural America because people are starting to realize what they (ag producers) do out here and people are interested in seeing that up close,” he said. Tordsen mentioned he manages www.marketmakeriowa.com, a website where individuals can view registered agritourism destinations, such as honey farms, orchards, vineyards and even a shellfish producer, near their homes or throughout Iowa. He added that the website can be a valuable tool for families planning vacations as it helps them identify unique attractions without immense travel expenses. “People want to do things closer to home,” he said. “With the way the economy has been, taking a trip to see a winery in California can be really expensive. Now, people don’t have to leave Iowa to see how a winery works.” These trips are also growing in popularity for school fieldtrips and senior citizen group trips as it lets adults reconnect with agriculture roots while children see firsthand how their parents, grandparents and many more generations once lived and worked. AGRITOURISM, Page 15
“You on the Farm” contest offers farm visit opportunity Iowa Corn is partnering with the Iowa Food & Family Project to better acquaint Iowans with farmers and enhance their confidence in how food is grown, prepared and served. Interest in food among Iowans continues to spike, mirroring national trends. Eighty-five percent of respondents in Iowa Food & Family Project’s annual Iowa consumer pulse survey said they think “often” or “sometimes” about how the food they eat is grown. Iowa Corn’s sponsorship increases familiarity and confidence in how food is grown by encouraging conversations and providing unique opportunities for farm families and their urban neighbors to become better acquainted. The Iowa Food & Family Project is another consumer outreach program that allows Iowa Corn to reach consumers who do not farm. Iowa Food & Family Project is launching its spring “You on the Farm” contest, in which one winner and family will have the opportunity to spend the day with an Iowa farm family. While on the farm, the family will see how Iowa farms function. The guests may have the opportunity to drive a tractor and help plant corn. Individuals can enter the contest by visiting iowafoodandfamily.com before March 31. A winner will be randomly selected in April.