Agri-tourism Legislation

From George Plaven, A reporter for the East Oregonian: “The Oregon Senate unanimously passed a bill Monday that would limit liability for farmers and ranchers to host public tours, events and other attractions on their property — collectively referred to as agri-tourism.”That’s a good thing because over in Oregon, farmers are increasingly seeking to diversify their income in order to remain profitable… turning to a strategy that has been successful in Europe – agritourism. These revenue-generating agritourism opportunities include overnight stays, pumpkin patches, corn mazes, U-pick fruits and vegetables, horseback riding and hay rides. OSU spokesperson Denise Ruttan talked to me about another avenue: “Do people go to the farm and pay the farmer just to get a look at the operation? It depends on the operation. With Leaping Lamb Farms it’s like an overnight lodging on the farms so you will be paying for that. Do you think a part of this is the locavore movement? Yes I think that has definitely played into it a lot.” So with Oregon’s new legislation, if you trip over a pumpkin or bump into a lamb while agri-touring, you won’t be able to take the farm owner for all he’s got.