Section 1 Short title
This Act may be referred to as the “Accelerating the Growth of Rural Innovation and Tourism Opportunities to Uphold Rural Industries and Sustainable Marketplaces Act” or the “AGRITOURISM Act”.
Accelerating the Growth of Rural Innovation and Tourism Opportunities to Uphold Rural Industries and Sustainable Marketplaces Act
A BILL
To establish, in the Department of Agriculture, an Office of Agritourism, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Findings; sense of the Congress
Findings— The Congress finds as follows:
Agritourism provides a range of unique experiences to the public, including—
education, such as school tours, garden and nursery tours, winery tours, historical agricultural exhibits, and hops and micro-brewery tours;
outdoor recreation, such as river activities, mountain biking, horseback riding, wildlife viewing and photography, fee fishing and hunting, wagon and sleigh rides, cross-country skiing, game preserves, and clay bird shooting;
entertainment, such as concerts and special events, culinary experiences, festivals, fairs, interaction with farm animals, and weddings;
direct sales, such as on-farm sales, farm stands, agriculture-related crafts and gifts, u-pick operations, u-cut tree farms, wineries, breweries, cideries, distilleries, and cut flowers;
accommodations, such as bed-and-breakfast inns, farm and ranch vacations, yurts, sheep wagons, and guest ranches; and
dining on a farm.
Agritourism has financial, educational, and social benefits to communities.
Agritourism continues to—
offer educational opportunities for children and families;
generate supplemental income for owners of agricultural enterprises, which are often small or family-run businesses;
spur economic development in rural communities;
preserve agricultural heritage; and
help farms diversify.
Sense of the Congress— It is the sense of the Congress that, to further realize the benefits of agritourism to communities, the Secretary of Agriculture should incorporate agritourism into the Department of Agriculture comprehensively.
Sec. 3 Office of Agritourism
In general— The Federal Crop Insurance Reform and Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6901–6921) is amended by adding at the end the following:
“310. Office of Agritourism
“(a) In general—The Secretary shall establish in the Department an Office of Agritourism.
“(b) Director—The Secretary shall appoint a senior official to serve as the Director of the Office of Agritourism (referred to in this section as the “Director”).
“(c) Duties—The Office of Agritourism shall encourage and promote agritourism activities and agritourism businesses, including—
“(1) educational experiences;
“(2) outdoor recreation;
“(3) entertainment and special events;
“(4) direct sales;
“(5) accommodations; and
“(6) any other activity or business relating to agritourism, as determined by the Secretary.
“(d) Means of Achieving—In carrying out subsection (c), the Director shall—
“(1) coordinate with the agencies and officials of the Department;
“(2) advise the Secretary on issues relating to agritourism;
“(3) ensure that the programs of the Department are updated to address best agritourism practices;
“(4) conduct outreach to stakeholders and coordinate external partnerships to share best practices, provide mentorship, and offer technical assistance to agritourism businesses;
“(5) facilitate interagency program coordination and develop interagency tools for the promotion of agritourism programs and resources;
“(6) review and improve farm enterprise development programs that provide information about financial literacy, business planning, and marketing for agritourism;
“(7) coordinate networks of agritourism businesses; and
“(8) collaborate with other Federal agencies as needed.”
Clerical amendment— The table of contents for such Act is amended by adding at the end the following: