There are more than 30,000 farms in New York. For an increasing number of them, crops and livestock are not the only money manufacturer. Agritourism is an increasing company in New York State. And there are quite unique places to visit.
Mark Gilbride began to raise alpacas about 15 years ago on his farm in the hills of Bloomfield, in the county of Ontario.
“We invite people to come on our farm (and) to tour,” said Gilbride, owner of Alpacas with lazy acre.
“I get a lot of people who come from the city who have never really lived a type experience on the farm, and they like to come here.”
The farm is part of an increasing type of businesses and attraction. Agritourism is an industry of $ 55 million a year in New York, and many agricultural tourism companies are located in the Finger lakes.
“It’s a beautiful region,” said Jacob Maslyn, the educator in economic development of agriculture with Cornell Cooperative Extension of the County of Ontario. “We have some important roads that roll through. We become an increasingly large tourist destination, and therefore it is mature for agricultural tourism. ”
The types of agritourism companies direct the entire range, from agricultural stands to livestock visits to corn labyrinths and pumpkin plots.
“I think I spent a dozen farm stands today,” said Maslyn.
In Shortesville, there is a Farm dedicated to reindeer.
“They are like cows with woods,” joked Mike Schaertl, a retired school teacher who launched Shortesville Rendeer Farm in 2017. “We never really thought of entering all the matters of agritourism. The first two Rennes, we were just going to have pets.”
Schaertl says that the most frequently asked question is: Why reindeer? He said he read on a guy in Pennsylvania who had a Rennes farm, who organized a conference for the owners of Rennes.
“My wife and I went there and spoke to a bunch of owners,” he said. “And half of us thought it was a very good idea.”
The Rennes farm manages limited hours for part of the year. Summer is too hot for them. Schaertl recently opened to allow people to see a newborn reindeer, and the farm is a big draw during the holidays, of course.
“We are trying to tell the children that we don’t have Santa’s reindeer here,” he said. “Because they will want to know which is Rudolph and which is the dasher and prancer.”
On Tuesday June 3, Schaertl will welcome tourist officials from the whole region for a event promoting the advantages of agritourism.
“We don’t make a lot of money with that,” he said. “But that’s not our goal. This is not our plan.”
At a time when New York farms continue to disappear, Agritourism promotes and preserves a lifestyle that for Gilbride – is rewarding.
“Work with people and show them a good time,” he said, when he asked him what he appreciated the most on the farm. “On leaving, they are just overwhelmed by the right time they have spent.”