Oklahoma Farm Report’s Stevie White caught up with Micaela Halverson, Agritourism Coordinator for the Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, to talk about all of the exciting ways to explore agritourism in Oklahoma this fall.
Pumpkin patches are ripe for visitors in the fall, and Halverson has 44 on her roster that are spread across the state. They are fun for the whole family and often provide a great backdrop for those fall family photos. Depending on the venue, some also feature corn mazes, hayrides, games, interactive experiences with animals, such as alpacas, pigs, rabbits, pigs, and horses, food sampling, live music, cookouts, and more depending on the venue.
A popular tour for adults is the Oklahoma Wine Trails. “We have nine different regional trails throughout Oklahoma, and we just started a new passport program,” Halverson explained.
The trails have been broken down into roughly six wineries in close proximity. Wine enthusiasts can go to the winery, pick up a passport, get a stamp or sticker at each location proving that they’ve been there, and mail it back to the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry to get a prize once the passport is complete. It doesn’t have to be accomplished in one day, so the tour could potentially span the entire season.
“This is a really fun one, and we are excited to be working on this campaign and getting more people out to try our wonderfully made Oklahoma wine,” Halverson said.
It is already time for country lovers to book an Oklahoma Country Stay for fall break. The cabins and homes are located in rural settings and may feature agricultural activities, such as livestock interactions, and nature explorations, to allow people to take a break from the hustle and bustle of city life.
Agritourism also has a new category blooming: You Pick Flowers. Halverson shared, “Once it cools off in the fall a little bit, we might see some more You Pick Flower events popping up. You can go pick your own bouquet and arrange them there on the farm. Some of them only have sunflowers and have a Sunflower Festival as well, so the best place to look for those is on our website in our You Pick or Horticulture category, and on our Facebook page as well because we like to reshare each individual farm’s events.”
She added that most of the state’s farmers markets will close around the end of October, so it is a good time to visit one of the 63 across the state if you haven’t already, or even if you have! “Go shop for local produce, homemade goods, and all kinds of other items that you can purchase locally from the farmer’s market.
For Producers
Oklahoma Agritourism is the first resource for producers interested in agritourism. After a producer reaches out, an agent will visit the farm and help the producer analyze their plans, including business ventures, farm attraction layouts, and more.
The Oklahoma Agritourism marketing program is free for signed producers. “Once you are listed with us, you are a part of all of our marketing channels, you will have your own profile on our website, and we work hard to get that information out to our consumers, which include both Oklahomans and people traveling from outside the state,” Halverson said. “We make sure that we get your farm’s information out for people to find you and see what fun things there are to do in Oklahoma.”
She added that both she and her counterpart, Whitney Wilkinson, welcome phone calls and emails from producers so they can answer any questions and concerns.
Agritourism is a great way for producers to diversify and increase their income on their farms. “If they aren’t sure what to do with the back forty, they have, or they need a seasonal operation to bring in some extra income, exploring all of the different options that we have within our agritourism industry is a really niche opportunity to educate people about agriculture, and to have some fun while making a little extra money. We are here to help with those things, and brainstorm ideas. We’ve been to farms all across our state and across the country and have seen anything and everything, and we are happy to figure out what works best for you and your farm.”
The website for both producers and consumers is oklahomaagritourism.com, and it features 18 different categories to help enthusiasts find what they are looking for, from Pumpkin Patches to wineries to horseback riding to the horticulture flower farms. More than 400 different farms are listed on the website and can be searched by region or activity. There are pictures of each farm and links to each farm’s social media pages and websites. Facebook and Instagram are also good ways to keep up with current and seasonal events.
