Agritourism
NEW SERIES
Agritourism Business Development Training
Winter 2026 | Hybrid | FREE!
Agritourism is a growing sector and an option for diversifying a farm’s revenue. This training assists farmers in Southwestern Wisconsin to develop a business concept, assess business feasibility, and navigate regulations.
Photo Courtesy of Driftless Wisconsin
About Agritourism Business Development Training
Agritourism, sometimes known as farm tourism, involves activities that bring visitors to a farm for educational, recreational, or retail purposes, often linked to farm products or experiences. Agritourism can help farmers generate additional revenue and is a growing sector that many small and medium-sized Wisconsin farmers are interested in.
This training, developed by Extension’s Agriculture and Community Development Institutes, assists farmers with starting an agritourism business. It also connects farmers with community developers and encourages participants to design businesses that are community-oriented. It provides guidance for community developers to support on-farm businesses and incorporate agritourism into rural economic development strategy.
The training helps farmers to:
Training Modules
The training is comprised of 6 modules. Participants can enroll in the entire cohort or attend single sessions.
Participants will receive pre-course materials prior to each module as introduction to key topics.
In Person Kickoff Event
Participants must register to attend. Lunch will be provided.
January 31, 2026, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.: Cohort Kickoff and Modules 1 & 2
Community Commerce Center, Gay Mills, WI
Module 1: Agritourism: What is your value proposition?
Understand the market potential for agritourism in Wisconsin and the potential benefits for your farm. Develop a motivation and value proposition statement.
Module 2: Developing the Venture: Is your business idea feasible?
Determine if agritourism is a good fit for your farm. Learn about financial resources, business planning resources, and SWOT analysis.
Virtual Series
Participants must register to attend. Registrants will receive a Zoom link after registering for the module.
February 4, 2026, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m., Zoom
Module 3: Community Connections: What need are you satisfying?
Dive into community networking, explore SMART goals for the business, and make connections with community developers.
February 11, 2026, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m., Zoom
Module 4: Risk & Regulation: What risks do you need to address?
Identify key concepts of risk and risks specific to your agritourism operation. Learn how to find and interpret relevant regulations and understand accessibility considerations.
February 18, 2026, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m., Zoom
Module 5: Financial Analysis: How do you know if you’ll be profitable?
Identify key financial metrics and indicators used to assess profitability, calculate profitability ratios and break-even points, and develop a pricing strategy.
February 25, 2026, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m., Zoom
Module 6: Marketing and Placemaking: What will your customer experience be like?
Learn about key elements that contribute to positive customer experience, marketing strategies, and placemaking strategies.
Agritourism Training Series Project Support
This project is being supported, in whole or in part, by federal award number SLFRP0135 awarded to the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System on behalf of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension via the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation and the Wisconsin Department of Administration.
