Exploring Agritourism for Your Farm: On-Farm Insights Tour

On March 25, I had the opportunity to join the Center for Profitable Agriculture on the Exploring Agritourism for Your Farm: On-Farm Insights Tour alongside Dr. Timothy Woods. The day brought together producers and agricultural professionals to explore how farms are diversifying through agritourism, value-added products, and consumer experiences.

The tour featured three standout operations across Middle Tennessee, each offering a different perspective on moving beyond traditional production agriculture. At Hatcher Family Dairy, participants saw how a multi-generation dairy has blended tradition with innovation. With robotic milking technology, on-farm retail, and educational tours, the Hatchers have created a model that allows them to remain competitive despite rising land costs.

Next, the group visited Nash Family Creamery, where the focus shifted to value-added dairy processing and customer experience. The newly renovated creamery, busy with families and lunchtime visitors, highlighted how value-added products like cheeses and ice cream, paired with tours and a welcoming retail space, can transform a farm into a destination while capturing more of the consumer dollar. The layout of the space encourages visitors to spend time on-site, creating more opportunities for engagement and repeat purchases.

The final stop, Lucky Ladd Farms, showcased agritourism at scale. As one of Tennessee’s largest farm-based attractions, it combines entertainment, education, and retail into a destination experience, with animal encounters, seasonal events, and family-oriented activities that draw visitors from across the region. Those wanting to step into agritourism can learn a great deal from how operations like this are structured and managed.

Overall, the tour reinforced the growing role of agritourism as a strategy for farm viability and rural economic development.

Learn more about the farms featured on the tour:
Hatcher Family Dairy – https://www.hatcherfamilydairy.com/
Nash Family Creamery – https://nashfamilycreamery.com/
Lucky Ladd Farms – https://luckyladdfarms.com/

To learn more about similar programs and upcoming opportunities, visit the Center for Profitable Agriculture: https://cpa.tennessee.edu/ and keep an eye on their future events and resources.