By Andi Anderson
Farm tours are becoming an important way to connect farmers with the public. As interest in farm-to-table food grows, many people want to know where their food comes from and how it is produced. In southwest Ohio, community organizations and farmers have created successful partnerships that allow visitors to experience farming directly.
In 2021, a county visitors bureau invited farmers to take part in a public farm experience. The goal was to allow visitors to see food sources and understand local agriculture. The message was clear. “I want people to visit your farms, and we have the technology to promote and support this event,” said Gleason. This idea led to the development of a local food and farm tour that has become popular in the area.
“From a metrics standpoint, the farm tour page on our website is in the top 10% every year,” Gleason said, noting that 5,935 unique visitors downloaded the farm tour guide from the Discover Clermont County website.
Many farmers join these tours to share their farming practices and answer questions. “For us, that’s one of our favorite things, to have those conversations with people,” Sarah Ison said. These events also help visitors understand agriculture and create stronger trust between farmers and consumers.
Farm tours are also long-standing traditions in some counties. In Wayne County, similar tours have taken place for decades.
“There are definitely people who follow it because they’ve been going for three generations,” Tournoux said. Community leaders continue to organize these tours and partner with local tourism agencies to keep them active and well promoted.
Some farmers note that many visitors come from cities and have never been on a farm before. “There were a lot of people from the city who had not been on farms before,” he said. “That’s one of the reasons we feel it is so important to do this. You want to make sure the non-farming public gets a chance to be on a farm and know where their food comes from.”
Tours have also helped farmers build long-term connections. Some families host hundreds of visitors and use the events to share organic production practices and specialty products.
Another benefit is attracting new Farm Bureau members. Farmers must be members to host tour stops, which has helped grow membership. “It has really brought us as a farming community together.” Koerner said.
Overall, farm tours strengthen relationships, promote specialty agriculture, and help communities better understand farming. These partnerships continue to build trust, support local food systems, and connect people with agriculture in meaningful ways.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-shotbydave
Categories: Ohio, Rural Lifestyle