116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Family farms turning pumpkin patches, orchards into tourist draws
Johnson, Washington counties band together to increase agritourism
Oct. 6, 2023 6:00 am, Updated: Oct. 6, 2023 3:35 pm
From new pumpkin patches to lavender fields to honey to maple syrup, family farms have become popular destinations for families to enjoy the outdoors, connect with farmers and the local food system, reduce screen time and entertain, educate and stimulate children.
Johnson and Washington counties have teamed up on a new marketing effort to create a regional brand and promote the area as an agritourism destination.
At the state and local level, government and business leaders have sought to promote and leverage Iowa’s natural assets and entrepreneurial farm operations to further grow agritourism and engage the public in Iowa’s agricultural operations, whether through farm or winery tours, cider houses, hay rides, apple- and berry-picking or other activities.
Besides the Johnson and Washington county effort in the Corridor, Linn County also is working to boost agritourism, seeing its potential to attract visitors.
The Gazette spoke with Sarah Thompson, rural development director of Greater Iowa City Inc., about the effort and the potential to increase agritourism in Iowa.
Q: What are the trends you’re seeing in the area related to agritourism, and what’s fueling some of that?
A: “What’s fueling it is just what we have all of these businesses, and still a lot of people in Iowa City don’t know that they’re there. And so we want to make it so people here know all about the apple orchard and all of the places they can go outside of town.”
That, Thompson said, includes:
- Prairie Patch Farm south of Cedar Rapids and near Shueyville. The 50-acre private wildlife refuge and nature preserve is home to llamas that visitors can feed, take on a hike, snuggle and take selfies with, as well as attend a yoga class inside the llama pasture.
- Colony Acres Family Farm outside of North Liberty is a year-round family farm gearing up for Halloween and a new 2023 fall harvest season.
- Calyx Creek Lavender in Oxford provides tours through lavender fields and a food market that sells sweet lavender lemonade and handcrafted lavender syrup.
- Wilson’s Orchard and Farm north of Iowa City was established in 1980. Visitors can pick their own fruit and vegetables. Apples and flowers are available seasonally, and the Cider House Restaurant is now open year-round.
- Orange Acres in Washington, Iowa, was started as a pumpkin patch in 2021 and offers games, tractor rides and other activities.
- The Kalona Byways Tours run April through October. The guided bus tour visits farms and rural businesses in the Kalona countryside.
“But then also we want to start bringing people in from Chicago or from the Twin Cities or Omaha, and make it a region and a destination. There is just a big push, I think, right now to kind of have that wholesome family fun … and it helps the local farm economy.”
Q: So how are the counties marketing agritourism in the area, and what’s the regional brand that you’re hoping to craft and cultivate?
A: “We have a meeting with a branding expert to kind of create our full brand and flesh it out. … Our hope is that you go to one (farm) and then you’ll say, ‘Oh, we could go to this one, or we could go to that one,’ and kind of make a whole trip out of it.”
Q: Iowa is a national and global leader in agriculture, yet Iowa seems to lag behind other states in successfully branding itself as an agritourism destination. Why is that and what are some of the challenges and difficulties the state faces in promoting Iowa’s agriculture, which is largely dedicated to corn and soybeans, as it looks to grow tourism?
A: “You hit the nail on the head there” with Iowa agriculture being mostly dedicated to growing row crops and raising livestock. “And so just getting some local farmers to want to grow things beyond corn and beans. If you’re going to go visit a place, you kind of want to see more than just corn and this is how we do it. To grow the agritourism, we really need to have other crops.”
She gave the example of apple orchards where visitors can pick their own apples, tour a cider house, taste samples and purchase homemade goods from the farm.
“It’s more of an experience than just going to a local farm and seeing the combine.”
Q: What are the benefits and potential of agritourism for this area?
A: “In Johnson County especially we can grow a variety of crops,” from grapes for wineries to bee farms to cultivate natural honey to maple tree farms for syrup.
“So you can go there and learn about all sorts of different things that they are working on. I think that makes a much more fun activity or place to go if you have a family, or just want to have a nice night out. A lot of these places have beautiful scenery around them. And you can kind of have a really unique experience that maybe you don’t get somewhere else.”
Q: What are the benefits to farmers, and what are some of the challenges or maybe risks involved when you’re looking to diversity and branch out into agritourism?
A: “A lot of the farms around here are using regenerative agriculture (practices), where they grow cover crops that keeps soil from eroding as quickly. It also keeps a lot of nutrients in the soil. So it’s good for the land to have" a variety of agricultural uses beyond row-crop and livestock farming, including smaller tracts of land to plant specialty fruit and vegetables that are more likely to draw consumers.
It also provides farmer another income stream, helping them diversify their business and buffer against potential farm losses and drops in corn and soybean prices.
“Seeing the production also sometimes will inspire people to want to buy more of whatever that product is, because now they know the work that went into it. I think that benefits farmers, too, when people understand how hard their work is and how long it takes to build up a reputation and build up the crop that they’re working on.”
Q: How have local efforts to increase agritourism benefited from recent legislation signed into law by Gov. Kim Reynolds, such as the Iowa Agricultural Tourism Promotion Act? And what barriers remain for Iowa farmers looking to develop these microenterprises and diversify their business?
A: “There’s awareness that has been raised because of these grants, and then there’s also some money out there to help you get started in that area. And more people are becoming aware of all of the different things that they can now do, and that’s really what we want to do — to increase the awareness that you can go to these places. They’re here. We don’t want any hidden gems. We want everyone to know about the gems we have around here. … And there is a big push lately to buy local, to make everything sustainable. And when you support local agritourism, you’re really helping to keep (dollars) here, which benefits schools and communities and rural areas.”
Comments: (319) 398-8499; tom.barton@thegazette.com
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