Study: Ag Tourists May Be Farmers’ Toughest Critics

People who support local agriculture may also be the most concerned about the industry’s impact, according to a study from Purdue University.

Researchers found that survey respondents who had visited a livestock operation were more likely to support the presence of agriculture in their state.

But the same group was also more likely to have concerns about the growth of local livestock operations and their impact on water quality.

Dr. Nicole Widmar, associate professor of agricultural economics at Purdue and an author of the study, said the two responses are not as contradictory as they sound.

“I’m not sure it should really be surprising that the people who invested the time, the money, to actually go and visit an agritourism operation, they are supportive of ag. They just have questions” Widmar said.

Kelly Murray, executive director of the Wisconsin Agricultural Tourism Association, said people who take the time to visit a dairy or hog farm are invested in where their food comes from and how it impacts the environment.

“The best way to put those concerns to rest is when you do go visit a local agricultural business or an ag tourism business, ask questions,” Murray said.

Murray said ag tourism is on the rise in Wisconsin as more restaurants and consumers seek out local foods.

And Widmar said farmers should be responsive to the questions they receive, knowing that most visitors support their business.

“Not everybody’s going to approve of or like everything that we do, but hopefully we value the fact that people invested enough to come and learn more,” Widmar said.