If you are considering an agritourism venture, that’s great and very exciting! But, before you launch your farm pizza series or advertise for goat yoga, check out our free Agritourism Legal Basics, which provides you with some of the basic things you should consider, from a legal angle. The tip sheet provides quick but helpful information on zoning ordinances, employee wages and workers’ compensation requirements, tax reporting and accounting, liability for injuries at farm events, and sales tax and disability accommodation requirements.
If you are interested in more comprehensive guidance on agritourism considerations, read our 19pg. Farmers’ Legal Guide to On-Farm Events, (19 pages) Hosting on-farm events is a powerful way to deepen your connection with your customers and add profitability. However, any time you invite the public to your farm you also open the door to legal risk. This guide will give you practical steps to manage your exposure through zoning codes, disability accommodations, food service regulations, tax permits, injuries and insurance. (19 pages) If audio-visual learning is more your style, check out our 2 hour, 8 min. recorded webinar, Hosting Safe, Legally Secure Farm Events.
If you are developing a food-service based venture like pizza night on the farm or fancy dinners, you’ll want to get into the details of food service and agritourism. We have two guides that, although they discuss the specifics of Minnesota and Wisconsin, will be helpful for farmers in any states- most of the same principles of food safety on the farm apply everywhere. Farmers anywhere will understand the relevant issues and the right questions to ask with our “Come and Get It” guides. They were developed specifically for Wisconsin and Minnesota farmers but will be helpful to farmers in any state. If you are in Wisconsin, see Come & Get It WI: On-Farm Food Service Overview (34pgs.) If you are in Minnesota, see Come & Get It MN: On-Farm Food Service Overview (41pgs.). Both of these guides were created in partnership with Renewing the Countryside, the Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (MISA), and ecopreneurs Lisa Kivirist and John Ivanko.
