First paragraph:
On the cover of this fall 2024 issue is a family of happy strawberry pickers at Last Resort Farm in Monkton, Vermont (photo by farmner Eugenie Doyle). Such pictures may seem a bit cliché, but they serve to remind us of the tremendous value of getting out and getting a bit of dirt under our nails from time to time. I believe that as a part of self-care, agritourism can be particularly important during these turbulent times that are fraught with toxic politics, war, and environmental challenges that keep us on edge. It is easy for those of us involved in food systems work to forget that we are quite privileged to know farmers and local food businesses on a personal basis. And so, on this issue’s cover we take the opportunity to celebrate agritourism as a contributor to community development. Later in this issue, Chadley R. Hollas and colleagues take a close look at farm-based recreation and hospitality data in the U.S. Census of Agriculture and find the USDA definition wanting. . . .
