Associate farm reporter Carli Davenport spoke with Micaela Halverson, agritourism coordinator for the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, who explained what agritourism is and why it matters. She noted, “Agritourism can be a new word for most people, and we like to say agritourism is anywhere you can experience agriculture.” Across Oklahoma, “we have hundreds of farms… opening up their doors, their gates, and inviting the public out to experience agriculture in some sort of way,” whether that’s fruit-picking, horseback riding, or visiting a winery or brewery.
As fall approaches, Halverson highlighted the wide variety of seasonal activities. She said, “It feels like fall, which I feel like is not normal for our state, and it is the perfect time to be thinking about where you’re going to go, what farm you’re going to visit for this fall experience.” The most popular options, she explained, are “pumpkin patches, mazes and petting farms.” Visitors can “pick your own pumpkin, ride on the hay ride, and wander through the pasture, through corn mazes or hay mazes,” as well as “get up close and personal” with animals.
Halverson emphasized that these aren’t just for kids. “The pumpkin patches, mazes, petting farms do not have to be kid only experiences,” she said. Instead, they can be “date night for adults to go out and experience them,” offering fun for all ages.
For adults looking for something unique, Halverson pointed to Oklahoma wineries and breweries. “This would be prime time to start visiting our Oklahoma wineries, getting to experience our Oklahoma made wine.” She explained the state’s updated program: “In the past couple of years, we’ve had a paper passport program but we’ve now gone digital, so the app has been relaunched, and you can find it at Oklahoma Wine Trails.” With this digital passport, visitors can check in, earn prizes, and attend winery events that may include “live music, food trucks, different things like that.” She added, “We can’t talk about wineries without also mentioning our breweries and our Oklahoma craft beer trail.”
Finally, Halverson encouraged people to stay connected to learn more. “We are sharing events and what’s happening this fall for any of these activities at our Facebook, which is Oklahoma Agritourism, or on our Instagram, which is OK Agritourism. The other place you can find us is our website, which is OklahomaAgritourism.com.”
