Agritourism: Opportunities, Challenges, and Considerations
Educator: Katharine Millonzi
The practice of visiting farms and place-based businesses can be considered a convergence of the agriculture and tourism industries: guests partake in the products and activities of their host. Well-established in Europe, agritourism is not formally entrenched in the U.S. as an industry or pastime, and yet we are witnessing a surge of interest nationwide in people seeking out farm-based leisure or farm-based experiential learning opportunities. As farm operators usher in a new era of agritourism, there are many social, legal and structural pieces to consider. This course will examine agritourism from a range of perspectives, focusing on the demands and desires of guests/participants and the basic how-tos for becoming a great host/provider while maximizing your existing assets, land-base, relationships, skills, products and craft to offer an extended suite of services to eager participants. Looking at what it means to add educational/touristic offerings to existing mixed enterprise businesses, this course offers an overview of hospitality best practices, marketing, program development, and other unexpected job requirements. We will also refer to our Opportunity Mapping tool, a quick-fire business planning instrument to help evaluate potential products and services from various perspectives, making your decision to launch or expand agritourism offerings better informed. This course is applicable to land-based and non-land-based businesses.
Katharine Millonzi
A business development and communications specialist, Katharine has worked in Kenya, India, Brazil, and across Europe, studying authentic and adaptive food systems. Since 2013 she has lived in New York’s Hudson Valley, where she consults and contributes to a wide range of regenerative food and agriculture ventures. Her expertise includes program and curricular design, mission-driven event management, copywriting, and emotional brand strategy. Katharine is devoted to the transformative arts of gathering and hospitality as mediums for individual and collective health.
From 2013-2015 Katharine interviewed over 60 agritourism operators and stakeholders in NY State and the Northeast. Focused on the successful components of farmstays from both guest and host perspectives, this research aimed to document the needs and potential of the sector, support rural economic development and promote regional identity through curated food and farm experiences.
As an outcome of her research, Katharine undertook management of guest experience services at several farm properties, including Mud Creek Farm, a certified organic, 2500-acre regenerative grain, hemp and carbon farm. There, she oversaw the complete renovation and interior design of an 1800’s 5-bedroom farmhouse, and continues to develop guest experience standards, protocol and assessment. In addition to producing numerous on-farm hospitality and educational events, Katharine advises regional tourism boards, several glamping businesses, and is on the core team of an agritourism online booking platform start-up.
Ms. Millonzi holds an MA in Food Culture and Communications from the University of Gastronomic Sciences, Italy, founded by Slow Food International, and a BA in Social Anthropology and International Development from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), London. Katharine was a 2007 Fulbright Fellow in Italy. She is a native of New York City and Western Massachusetts.
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