Resources

Resources

Agritourism Safety and Health Best Practices Checklists

• Agritourism Bio-security Checklist
• Agritourism Emergency Preparedness Checklist
• Agritourism Food Safety Checklist
• Agritourism Negligence Mitigation Suggestions
• Agritourism Pesticide Safety Checklist
• Agritourism Play Area Checklist

Marketing Local Foods in Iowa

These flowcharts will help determine the requirements for processing and selling food products in Iowa, and will guide producers and processors to the appropriate state agencies or departments.

• Fruit and Vegetable Juice
• Cut Fruits and Vegetables
• Whole Fruits and Vegetables
• Honey and Maple Syrup
• Jams, Jellies, and Preserves
• Low Acid or Fermented Foods
• Eggs
• Red Meat
• Poultry
• Dairy
• Seafood

Producer Regulations 

Employment Regulations
Farmers' Market/Local Food Markets
Food Safety Guidelines
Health/Safety/Disability Guidelines
Organic Certification
Permits
Registering a Business
Taxes
Tourist Oriented Directional Signing (TODS) from Iowa DOT
Zoning

Insurance

When inviting visitors on your property or selling product to the public it is critical to have proper insurance coverage and a good working relationship with your insurance provider. The listing below may not include all insurance providers who provide coverage for agritourism operations in Iowa. We strongly encourage each farm to do their research to find which provider is best fit for their farms needs.

• Farm Bureau Financial Services
• Midwest Heritage
• Nationwide
• Town & Country Insurance – farm
• Town & Country Insurance - crop

Business and Marketing Planning 

Specialty Crop Enterprise Budgets, Ag Decision Maker
Business Planning, AgPlan, by the University of Minnesota. 
Agritourism Emergency Preparedness, The Ohio State University
Marketing Your Farm, Hobby Farms.com
How to Start a Business – The Definitive Guide - Chamber of Commerce 

Legal Considerations

National Agriculture Law Center - Agritourism 
State of Iowa Recreational Statues, National Agriculture Law Center.
Iowa Landowner’s Legal Guide, Drake Univeristy Agriculture Law Center
Center for Agricultural Law and Taxation, Iowa State University 

Iowa Law Limits Liability of Agricultural Tourism Farms

On May 19th, 2021, Governor Reynolds signed SF 356 into law establishing the “Iowa Agricultural Tourism Promotion Act.” Because many of the inherent risks of farming cannot be removed, the Act promotes agricultural tourism by limiting the potential liability of agricultural tourism farms in certain circumstances.

• Iowa Law Limits Liability of Agricultural Tourism Farms article link

Additional Resources

Iowa Organizations Supporting Agritourism​
Training Resources
Grant & Loan Opportunities