Completed Project Report


Agritourism Safety and Liability: Implementing Best Risk Management Practices for Farms Open to the Public

  • Award Amount: $30,952
  • Regional Center: Northeast Extension Risk Management Education Center
  • Grant Program: 2017 Education Projects
  • Project Director: Lisa Chase
  • Email: lisa.chase@uvm.edu
  • Organization: University of Vermont Extension

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Project Overview

As consumer demand for local food and farm experiences has increased in recent years, more farms are opening their barns, fields, and homes to visitors. Agritourism includes many kinds of experiences, such as overnight farm stays, hay rides, corn mazes, and use of farm land for hiking, hunting, snowmobiling and other recreational activities. Agritourism also includes direct sales, such as farmstands and u-pick, as well as educational programs for school children, seniors, and other groups of visitors, often involving demonstrations and workshops around specific topics and skills.

Hosting visitors on farms provides rich educational opportunities for consumers, supplemental income for farms, and public support for agriculture; however, it comes with risks to visitors and farms. The project provided training and resources on agritourism safety and liability for 159 farmers and service providers in Vermont and nearby states. The project team hosted workshops and followed up with farms to conduct safety assessments. Of the 112 farms that participated, 37 farms implemented best risk management practices, including 29 that posted safety signage for visitors about hand washing and other safety measures; 21 that obtained or improved liability coverage; and 27 that established or improved hand washing stations, among other best practices implemented.

Number of Participants: 159

Outcomes

Project Steps

PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS

There are no promotional materials available for this project.

EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS

There are no educational materials available for this project.

REPORTS & EVALUATIONS

There are no reports or evaluations available for this project.

DELIVERY AREA

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