How agritourism is drawing thousands to Utah farms

SPANISH FORK — A new study shows there's been a surge in agritourism in Utah, and it's coming at an otherwise trying time for many of the state's farmers.

About 300,000 people visit Utah each year to check out its farms, according to a new study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Food.

Terry Camp, Utah Farm Bureau Federation vice president of public policy, said as freezes, drought and fires have made 2026 a "rough year" for farmers, agritourism helps sustain farmers amid instability.

Hopefully, agritourism helps those in farming today and beyond, Camp said.

"(Agritourism) is also helping engage the next generation in farming," Camp said. "So a lot of people of my generation and younger, want to stay on their family farms and they want to continue doing what their parents and grandparents have done before them."

So what makes agritourism successful?

The efforts of fifth-generation farmer Rex Larsen and his daughter, Kara Lewis, show some of the ingenuity it takes.

Their family farm is on an "island" otherwise taken up by development projects, and Larsen and Lewis had to find more ways to make it profitable and survive in the industry.

So, they started a corn maze.

Larsen said he was a bit skeptical at first.

"Oh, that's not going to work. Nobody will come walk through a cornfield, and that's OK. That's fine," he said.

However, Larsen's hunch was wrong.

"They did," Larsen said. "They came, and they've been coming ever since."

In addition to a corn maze, Larsen and Lewis have hosted field trips to their farm over the years. Larsen said it's all part of the goal his great-grandfather had when he came to Utah 158 years ago: to feed the masses through hard work and a passion for farming.

"And if we can teach those our little kids that come on field trips where their food comes from, then I think we've done a great service," Larsen said.

The ideas for agritourism on their farm didn't stop there, either.

This year, Lewis said they added the Utah Tulip Festival in the spring. She said that not only does it offer a chance for the family to show their farming efforts, but also for tourists to step away from the pressures of modern life for a bit.

"Getting your hands in the dirt. Just having that experience of stepping away from electronics for a minute," Larsen said. "Stepping away from, like, the busyness of life. Like we just say, leave your worries at the door. Come on out and experience the difference that you'll feel on the farm."

If recent legislative efforts are any indication, the opportunities of farmers like Larsen and Lewis in farming will grow soon.

Camp said recent legislation has helped farmers expand into agritourism. There are inherent risks like sharp objects, machinery and uneven ground that they may need legislation to protect them from the risks.

In turn, lawmakers have passed more protections for farmers, allowing them to do more agritourism.

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