چکیده:
The last three decades have seen a significant increase in the number of farm families diversifying their on- and offfarm production. A well-established body of literature identifies the reasons for such diversification. These factors include environmental pressures, climate change, a decline in terms of trade in agriculture, low-income elasticities in commodities markets, and over-reliance on raw products.
Government policies have also had an influence as a result of reduction in and loss of government-supported agricultural programs. These and other reasons have induced farm families to explore diversification of farm production in order to maintain family farms (Benjamin, 1994; Bowler, Clarke, Crockett, Ilbery, & Shaw, 1996; Davies & Gilbert, 1992; Doyle & McGehee, 2002; Jennings & Stehlik, 1999; McGehee & Kim, 2004; Weaver & Fennell, 1997; ). For over two decades, agri-tourism has been offered up as one such form of diversification (Bowen, Cox, & Fox, 1991; Cawley, Gillmor, Leavy, & McDonagh, 1995; Embacher, Bramwell, & Lane, 1994; Evans & Ilbery, 1989; Hjalager,1996; Lobo et al., 1999; Oppermann, 1997; Pizam & Poleka, 1980). The definition of agri-tourism utilized in this study is that of Weaver and Fennell (1997, p. 357): ‘‘rural enterprises which incorporate both a working farm environment and a commercial tourism component’’