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Farmers look to tourism to boost salesROGERS, Ark. (AP)--Some Arkansas farmers are relying on tourist dollars to make ends meet. With the number of farms on the decline in the state, growers are learning to expand into new areas, and that includes satisfying travelers who want to get away from city life. "Farmers need more revenue, bottom line. It's sad, but true," said Jane Eckert, chief executive officer of Eckert AgriMarketing in St. Louis. Eckert addressed a group during the Governor's Conference on Tourism, which wrapped up March 11 at Rogers. Eckert said demand is rising across the country for farm and country-style getaways. Arkansas has such variety in terrain and agriculture that the trend could open a new segment of tourism in the state. The state has wineries, orchards, row crops, vegetable farms, trout and catfish farms and cattle ranches. "I believe all trends are leading to agritourism, and they are leading to Arkansas," Eckert said. Catering to tourists can't be the answer for all hardships in the farming industry, but some farmers have established themselves in running two businesses. Darrell and Ellen Dalton, owners of Pumpkin Hollow in Piggott, started their farm in 1969. Sixteen years ago the couple began offering hay rides, pig scrambles, corn mazes and gourd decorating. The farm now draws 15,000 to 20,000 visitors annually, Ellen Dalton said. "We were so shocked that even kids in our area had never seen where a pumpkin grows, had never seen a cow, a horse, a pig," Dalton said. Dalton said the tourism portion of the farm accounts for half of its annual income. Eckert said farms can boost income through a range of offerings, from letting folks cut their own Christmas trees to learning how to make sausage. "The entertainment can be whatever you make it," Eckert said. "Think of how stressed we are in corporate America, and the kind of experience they can have by coming to our properties." Joe Foster, program coordinator with Winthrop Rockefeller Institute in Morrilton, said he's preparing to make public a list of the state's agritourism opportunities, which number about 300. Foster says he'll put the list on the institute's website. Not all growers who tried the tourist route found it to their liking. Dave Sargent, owner of Sargent Farms in Prairie Grove, sells at farmers markets and other outlets. But he doesn't let the public on his farm any longer. "People are very inconsiderate. They drink and smoke and throw trash," Sargent said, recalling how he used to let visitors pick their own fruit. 3/31/08 Date: 3/21/08 Advertisement
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