Limiting Liability for Ag Tourism Operations

As more producers turn their farm or ranch into agritourism sites, they must consider practical ways to protect themselves against liability. National Farm Medicine Center’s Scott Heiberger shares that one best management practice is having hand washing stations throughout your operation especially where visitors will be
Heiberger: “Every week it seems we hear about another break out of some sort of food borne illness. It is just really important if you are going to have a petting zoo for instance to have the hand washing stations either with water or some type of disinfection.”
Heiberger explains how the agritourism experience for both operators and visitors is greatly enhanced when both safety and fun are emphasized.
Heiberger: “If yiou are going go out and watch saffron or you are going to pick strawberries and make your own strawberry shortcake to just get the most out of your agricultural experience. To really look out of that window of how food is produced and where it comes from. Get that education piece and that experience. The experience agriculture is what it is all about now with the general public. So for them to be able to do that to be immersed in this ag environment but yet not have any safety issues. Go way safe and happy. Word of mouth — telling their friends that they got to come out to this place as well. The agritourism operators that we work with besides it just being the right thing — to take all the necessary safety precautions and follow best practices. Besides it being the right thing — they tell us they just sleep better at night. The people that come out have a good time and be safe. They also sleep better at night knowing that they are not probably going to be facing a big lawsuit if somewhere were to go wrong.”