The OSU Agricultural Tourism program engages the agriculture and tourism communities to foster connections through research-based knowledge and education. It seeks to strengthen the understanding of agricultural tourism and farm-direct sales to help build financially viable farms and ranches, encourage sustainable practices, and promote industry resilience through networks and educational resources.
The program does this through:
- Education - Workshops and classes, individual teaching contacts, publications, digital resources, and the self-paced online course "Developing a Successful Agritourism Business in Oregon" covering land use, risk management, marketing, and action planning.
- Research - Works to fill gaps in agritourism knowledge with studies like economic impacts, producer needs, and agritourism consumer sentiment.
- Engagement - Producer networks and collaboration with tourism organizations, supporting diverse agritourism activities such as direct sales, education, recreation, entertainment, and hospitality.
Through these efforts, OSU helps strengthen rural communities through economic development and helps connect Oregon residents and visitors to farms, their products, and the educational opportunities they provide.