Meet Montana’s Agritourism Industry

Farm to table meals are becoming more popular as we all take more of an interest in where our food comes from and in eating fresher, healthier ingredients. Building on this concept is a new, unique form of tourism known as agritourism ̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶- an up and coming industry in Montana.

Agritourism is currently defined by Montana House Bill 342 as a “form of commercial enterprise that links agricultural production or agricultural processing with tourism in order to attract visitors to a farm, ranch, or other agricultural business for purposes of entertaining or educating the visitors.” You might think of agritourism from the movie City Slickers where a group of city boys went to the country to learn to be cowboys for a week.

The Montana Agritourism Manual places the many agritourism activities into three main categories: Direct-Market, Education and Experience, and Recreation and Event based.

Direct-Market

This group includes roadside produce stands and Community Shared Agriculture (CSA) where consumers can purchase products directly from the growers. Montana is full of roadside produce stands and farm stands where you can purchase freshly picked fruits and vegetables directly from the farms.

Home Acres Orchard is a 45 acre orchard located in the Bitterroot Valley south of Missoula. They have 18 varieties of apples, six varieties of pears, three varieties of Asian pears, several varieties of apricots, two varieties of pie cherries, and four varieties of plums. You can find their fruit at local farmers’ markets and local grocery stores or you can go directly to the orchard for the freshest selection possible.

Have you ever heard of the entomophagy (edible insects) market? One of the emerging industry leaders is right here in Montana! For a truly unique shopping experience, visit Cowboy Cricket Farms in Belgrade, Montana to get a selection of edible crickets. According to their website, crickets naturally have high protein, iron, and amino acid content in a very small package. For a healthy, protein-packed snack try their whole roasted crickets in original or smoky flavor. You can also get Cowboy Cricket Powder to add a protein kick to anything you would put regular protein powder in. They even make Chocolate Chirp Cookies which are delicious cookies with a protein punch for after workout recoveries!

Education and Experience

This group includes pick-your-own produce farms, farm tours, bed and breakfasts with hands-on experiences, and farm/ranch workshops where the farm itself is marketed as a tourist destination.

Program in Ecological Agriculture and Society or PEAS Farm in Missoula, Montana has expanded their business beyond the produce they grow to include a wide range of educational activities for the whole community. They offer school visits for preschoolers all the way through high schoolers. The farm is the outdoor classroom for the Environmental Studies (EVST) program at the University of Montana as well as an internship opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students. Summer camps give local kids experience working on the farm as well as learning valuable lessons in team building, leadership, and agriculture. They have created the Youth Harvest Project to teach at-risk youth job skills and coach them in life skills. PEAS Farm has truly made the most of their agritourism potential!

Want a longer agritourism experience? Enjoy a stay at ABC Acres also located in the Bitterroot Valley. They are a Permaculture Farmstead which is a practice of “design science that implements agriculture practices in a way that mirror natural ecosystems resulting in abundant yields with minimal amounts of care, inputs and management.” During your stay, go on a self-guided tour of the farm to learn how they are promoting Regenerative Agriculture practices or get a behind the scenes tour with the owner for more information on their practices and daily operations. While you are there, enjoy farm fresh products such as eggs, pasture-raised beef, pork, and poultry; jams, jellies, and honey; or pick your own fruit from the many bushes and trees all around the property. Immerse yourself in the farm life for a few days!

Recreation and Event Based

This group includes activities that rely on the farm’s atmosphere for their appeal such as harvest festivals, corn mazes, and haunted hay rides. Their visitors are looking for an event to experience or to recreate in a unique setting – my favorite things!

Enjoy bike riding? Love to eat? Then go on the Fork to Farm Tour in Corvallis, Montana. The 30 mile ride happens each fall and includes stops at four Bitterroot Valley farms where riders will enjoy food and drink produced from locally grown vegetables, fruits and livestock. The ride ends at the Western Agriculture Research Center in Corvallis where you will enjoy live music, a locally sourced dinner, and local cider and beer. Plus it’s all for a good cause! Proceeds from the event will support Bike Walk Bitterroot’s efforts to make the Bitterroot Valley a safe and accessible place to walk and bike.

For another unique experience, how about a table that seats 200 set up right on Main Street? 2018 was the 2^nd Annual Montana’s Longest Table dinner in Lewistown, Montana. This event is organized by the Lewistown Downtown Association, MSU Extension, Central Montana Cattle Women, Central Montana Women in Farm Economics (WIFE) and Fergus County Farm Bureau to share the process of moving locally grown foods through the production chain to the point of becoming the products for sale in local stores. The dinner is prepared with all locally grown products including beef, pork, chicken, wheat, hops, legumes, berries, dairy, and more. The local suppliers talk about their products and there is entertainment for all ages.

Agritourism develops connections between the customer and the producer allowing long-term relationships to grow. These relationships sustain the repeat business needed to keep these unique businesses growing. When looking for your next vacation or business retreat, consider agritourism as a unique and exciting option!

Looking for more Montana Agritourism opportunities?

Here is a great website!  aeromt.org/abundant/

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