Purdue survey finds ‘agritourists’ have environmental concerns
5/18/2016 |
While most agricultural tourists responding to a Purdue University survey indicated that agriculture is an important industry, those who said they had visited a livestock farm tended to have concerns about how animal feeding operations affect water quality in their county.
The results suggest that livestock producers who open their operations to “agritourists” will have a receptive audience but should be prepared to potentially address questions about environmental concerns, says Nicole Olynk Widmar, associate professor of agricultural economics and co-author of the study Exploring Agritourism Experience and Perceptions of Pork Production.
“We can safely say that agriculture professionals are increasingly aware of how the industry is perceived by the media and consumers,” Widmar says. “We hope this data provides context for future studies that could help us better understand changing perceptions about agriculture and the demographics of people who participate in agritourism.”
– Darrin Pack, http://bit.ly/1rTM1OF
Above: People touring a farm on a train (Pixabay)