We don’t know about you, but as soon as that crisp air hits our nostrils, we crave apple cider and homemade donuts. 🍩🥤 Forget that artificial pumpkin spice crap. We’re heading to the farm for the real deal! 🤩
If you love leaving the city for a farm frolic, you’re not alone! In Ohio, corn mazes and farm tourism bring in the big bucks (and big smiles). 🤠
Here’s Five Fast Facts on farm tourism in Ohio:
- 🧑🌾 Come One, Come All - Did you know that the Buckeye State has the fourth-highest number of farms in the nation? Over the years, farmers started opening up their land to tourists through corn mazes and other fall festivities. With roughly 82% of Ohio’s population living in or around its big cities, more folks than ever want a farm fix.
- 💸 Money Maker - Data from a recent survey shows that 894 Ohio farms earned money from “agritourism” activities. Additionally, over 5,700 farms generated cash from direct-to-consumer sales. From 2017 to 2022, gross income from agritourism in Ohio doubled. Wowza!
- 🚜 Tourist Trap - Farmers say that increasing revenue is the biggest reason they dabble in tourist-focused ventures. Data from 2022 shows farms earned an average of $35,797 from agritourism. Not too shabby.
- 🤝 Farm Friendly - But it’s not all about the extra money, honey. Farmers also say they turn to agritourism to build community and educate the public about what life’s really like down on the farm.
- 🌽 Gettin’ Corny - Fun fact: there were no corn mazes in the U.S. until 1993. The very first maze was a dinosaur-shaped adventure in Annville, PA. Bet it wasn’t as cool as the Taylor Swift corn maze outside of Toledo!
🔥Bottom line: Before you leave the corn maze, don’t forget to stop and shop those home grown goodies! Farm fresh produce tastes amazing and can be cheaper than the grocery store. Speaking of groceries, how much do Ohioans pay to fill their carts? Head here to find out!
Hit up any corn mazes this fall?
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