The Senate today approved legislation that would create a statewide standard allowing farmers to host Agritourism or Agritainment activities, according to Senator Elder Vogel, Chairman of the Senate Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee.
House Bill 101, introduced by Representative Barb Gleim (R-199), was approved 48-2 by the Senate and now returns to the House for concurrence on Senate amendments. This bill creates the freestanding Agritourism Activity Protection Act to provide limited civil liability protection for persons who offer agritourism activities on a farm and meet certain requirements.
Farm markets, pick-your-own produce, corn mazes, paintball, petting zoos, hayrides and farm tours are the types of enterprises that fall under what would be called agritourism. They can make the difference between having a positive year on the ledger as opposed to ending up in the red, especially for small family farmers.
Click for audio and video of Senator Vogel’s comments from the Senate Floor immediately prior to passage of the bill.
CONTACT: Cara Laudenslager claudenslager@pasen.gov