Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Ted Budd, R-N.C., today introduced bipartisan legislation to support the economic development and growth of agritourism businesses nationwide by increasing federal resources like loans, grants, broadband, and educational programs to small family farmers.
“Small family farmers are the backbone of our country’s agricultural sector,” Wyden said. “There’s no question that the federal government needs to step up and support family farmers at a time when most are operating on a shoestring budget and barely making ends meet. Our bipartisan legislation would give family farmers much-needed resources to not only survive, but grow and thrive.”
“Agritourism is essential to keeping working farms afloat, especially in the aftermath of natural disasters. Without it, many of North Carolina’s farms would have been forced to cease operations following Hurricane Helene. I’m proud to lead this legislation alongside Senator Wyden to streamline federal resources for North Carolina’s booming agritourism industry,” Budd said.
Wyden and Budd’s Accelerating the Growth of Rural Innovation and Tourism Opportunities to Uphold Rural Industries and Sustainable Marketplaces (AGRITOURISM) Act would support local, family-owned businesses by designating a senior official at the U.S. Department of Agriculture as the federal agritourism advisor. This role would coordinate with stakeholders and other federal agencies to promote the growth of family-owned farms and advise the Secretary of Agriculture on this essential industry.
Agritourism is one of the fastest growing industries that serves as a critical lifeline for rural economies nationwide by allowing family farms to offer outdoor recreational services like beer tasting, berry picking, seasonal festivities, bed-and-breakfast accommodations, and event venues.
Oregon State University found that each Oregon county has at least one farm participating in agritourism. In North Carolina alone, agritourism is nearly a $1 billion industry.
In addition to Wyden and Budd, the AGRITOURISM Act is cosponsored by Senators Peter Welch, D-Vt., ranking member of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Rural Development, Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., Thom Tillis, R-N.C., Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., Patty Murray, D-Wash., Michael Bennet, D-Colo., Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.V., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. House companion legislation was also introduced by Representatives Suhas Subramanyam, D-Va., and Dan Newhouse, R-Wash.
The AGRITOURISM Act is also endorsed by:
“The Brewers Association supports the AGRITOURISM Act, which recognizes craft breweries as vital contributors to America’s agricultural and rural tourism economies. This legislation will strengthen local supply chains, expand opportunities for small and independent brewers, and help communities thrive,” wrote Bart Watson, President and CEO of the Brewers Association.
“We applaud Sen. Wyden, a longtime and critical advocate for our industry, for the introduction of the AGRITOURISM Act! Our craft distilling industry, a vibrant sector within the broader US agricultural industry, relies heavily on local farmers for spirit production. Likewise, our community of distilleries – whose numbers are sadly in decline – rely heavily on agritourism as an important revenue stream. Particularly in rural areas, this tourism in turn stimulates these local economies while also creating local jobs,” wrote Margie Lehrman, CEO of the American Craft Spirits Association.
“Agritourism is essential to the survival of the wine industry and no one knows this better than Senator Wyden. Wineries need visitors to survive, and we are thrilled that Senator Wyden is leading this bill. He understands what our industry needs and continues to be a steadfast supporter of not only the Oregon wine industry, but the entire American industry,” wrote Michael Kaiser, Executive Vice President of WineAmerica.
The text of the bill is here.
A web version of this release is here.