Support Agritourism

Agritourism needs your help to survive in Oregon.

Update as of 7-25-25.

We did it! The Governor has ordered a pause on the DLCD Farmstand RAC. Thanks to your amazing voices being in sent in support of Agritourism. We appreciate everyones help who wrote in, it really made the difference.

Thank you as well to the Governors Office, our local legislators, and county commisioners for their help!

So, what happens next?

Now that the meetings have been put on pause, we can now work to get the rulechanges out of the DLCD Farmstand RAC, and instead into the hands of our legislators in the 2026 short session next year.

We want the DLCD to give up this RAC for a number of reasons. We feel that their staff are to closely connected and biased with certain landuse watchdog groups in this State to create unbiased policy. There are changes we want to see happen not only from the 2025 Farmstand RAC but the 2024 Farm and Forest Modernization Program RAC. Also, there are a number of staturoty items that need to be addressed and potentially updated like the 75/25 income split; that the DLCD is not able to address, but the legislature would be able to.

Right now we will continue to write to our local legislators to share our opinions on what we would like to see change to make things easier not only for our operation, but for Agritourism across the state. You can also write to your local legislators and share your stories of what you love about agritourism in Oregon and what you want to see continued in practice. (Find your representatives)

No legislation on Agritourism is not the answer. We do need rules and regulations to protect agritourism operations, their farming neighbors, the customers, the county, etc. We have been to other states where agritourism is welcomed, and the farmer and state agencies find common middle ground to make things work. In Oregon we were not finding that support from DLCD. We have been able to find support from our governor, local legislators, county commisioners, and from you! It is our hope that by removing these very impactful rules and regulations from DLCD to others that we will be able to better accomplish everyone’s goals.

We will update you if we need any further support!

We wanted to share an upsetting update on the Oregon farmstand rules currently being rewritten by the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD).

This rulemaking was supposed to help—clearing up confusion for farmers and local governments, and supporting small farms that depend on agritourism to survive. But instead, DLCD just released a proposed set of rules that would do the opposite. If passed, they would:

Make it harder for small farms to operate by introducing sweeping new restrictions that were never intended by the Legislature.
Jeopardize farm events like summer or fall harvest festivals, animal exhibits and hay rides by limiting or eliminating what they call “promotional events.”
Restricting certain sales to permanent buildings only. These rulemaking introduce the description of temporary structures (tents, canvas coverings, etc). The DLCD wants to limit temporary structures for customer shelter, or sales of your farm products only. You would not be allowed to sell incidental items like pumpkin cutters, or educational tours like our field trips underneath tents with these proposed regulations.
Restrict farm-to-table dinners by capping them, even though these gatherings can make the difference between a farm surviving or closing its gates.
Ban or limit prepared foods including on-farm creations that use produce grown right on the farm. These items currently help farmers draw in customers and support their operations. Like our Shortcake Stand.
Impose new siting and enforcement powers—including the ability for local governments to charge farmers ongoing fees, and even revoke existing permits.

These DLCD Farmstand meetings were supposed to fix problems created from the meetings last year. Instead they seem to be doubling down on pushing agritourism out of the state of Oregon. Oregon loves to promote agritourism in practice, but these DLCD rule changes perfectly highlight how difficult it is to operate in this State, and why so many farmers feel unwelcomed. The state said it wanted to support small farms. Instead, these changes would benefit large, out-of-state corporate farms, and make it harder for real working farms to do what we do best: grow food, build community, and steward the land.

We’re not giving up, but we need your help writing the governor and your local, Oregon legislators. This is the time to act if you want to support family farms in Oregon. Given how past rulemakings have gone, it is very difficult to change DLCD staffs’ opinion once proposed rule language is published. It will take significant public comment to get DLCD to change course on what they put forth to the Commission for adoption.

Below is a sample letter you can copy and send to DLCD, farmforest.comment@dlcd.oregon.gov. You can also contact Governor Kotek *and your local legislators (Find your representatives), but contacting the DLCD directly is most important right now.***

We encourage you to add in your your personal experience or connections to farms via agritourism. Field trips with your kids, Strawberry Shortcake in the Summer, shopping for local goods, etc.

· If you would like to read the DLCD Farmstand proposed rulemaking language click on the link here: Read Draft

Example Email/Letter

Subject: Please Protect Oregon’s Farmstands and Agritourism

Dear [Governor Kotek] [Representative] [Senator]

I’m writing as a proud Oregonian and someone whose family has made countless memories at local farm stands and agritourism events. From picking apples in Hood River to enjoying farm-to-table dinners and seasonal festivals, these experiences have become part of our family’s story— and part of what makes Oregon so special.

These farms aren’t just places to visit. They’re run by hardworking families who support local jobs, bring life to our rural communities, and help preserve Oregon’s agricultural heritage. That’s why I’m deeply concerned about the proposed farm stand permit rules from DLCD. These rules would create new restrictions, fees and enforcement systems that will make it harder for small farms to survive.

Farmstands and agritourism businesses deserve our support—not more pressure. They’re already doing the hard work of growing food, welcoming visitors, educating the public, and keeping our rural economy strong. Please stand with them and oppose these rules. Let’s make sure Oregon continues to be a place where agriculture and community thrive together.

Thank you for listening and for standing up for Oregon’s farmers.

Sincerely,

[Your Name] [Your City], Oregon

Extra Details:

We don’t want to take up all of your valuable time, but if you want more details to fully understand these rulemakings we will have more details listed down below. We thank you all for your time, attention, and care for Oregon Agriculture.

DLCD (Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development) oversees farm land use in the state of Oregon, including farmstands and agritourism usage of land. DLCD reviews their rules and regulations periodically to make sure they are up to date using a group of experts from varied background called a RAC (Rules Advisory Committee). DLCD sadly has a longstanding history of it’s staff aligning themselves with certain land watch groups. In 2024 DLCD had a RAC on agritourism covering topics from vineyards, seasonal festivals, to farmstands. This RAC did not allow anyone who had an Agritourism operation onto the committee even though many farms applied. The committee instead had many people who supported certain land use watchdog organizations ideologies and created new regulations that would have killed almost all agritourism businesses in the state of Oregon.

In response to this many agritourism supporting representatives tried to bring forward bill HB.3133 at the beginning of 2025. The DLCD said they had seen the error in their ways and asked for another chance to make language that is fair rather than having a bill that corrects the issue. Bill HB.3133 was then pulled to give DLCD a chance to fix their wrongs. The DLCD started holding a Farmstand RAC in spring 2025, that had some agritourism farmers on it unlike last year, but still had many land use watchdog supporters on the RAC.

Why should we care about agritourism?

Agritourism is difficult to define as like all other forms of agriculture it is constantly changing. It can change based on trends, the environment, profit, the market, and other factors. Agritourism is impacted in these changes just as much as any other form of agriculture, but often times the correlation for change is more direct reflecting in people. While these trends from the public greatly impact agritourism because they are selling directly to the consumer. We cannot assume these trends do not also affect other types of farms. Many farmers who sell their products on the open market can be heavily affected by the prices of a commodity. “Multiple studies show that farmer suicide rates are 2-5x higher than the national average. Experiences such as natural disasters, extreme weather events, financial uncertainty, fluctuating markets, labor shortages, trade disruptions and other factors all contribute to extreme stress for farmers and ranchers who often live in a very isolated setting.” American Farm Bureau. Sadly each year many farmers mental health is affected due to their crops; often times because of poor prices and financial ruin. A few years ago there was a gold rush on Hemp, that many farmers in the Willamette Valley tried to get a part of to make it rich. Sadly, the market was over supplied and prices crashed, and some farmers took their lives over it.

While some people switch to agritourism because of the financial security and benefits it gives them. Many young farmers are incorporating some form of agritourism into their farm operations. Young farmers find the draw of agritourism for many reasons including financial benefits, capability of operating, and creating their own space. According to the Oregon Farm Bureau “96.7%” of farms in Oregon are family owned and operated. Many of these family farms have multiple generations working on the farm and find it financially difficult to support the next generation as well. Without agritourism our farm would not be able to support the five households from our family that work on the farm and farm market.

Introducing agritourism to their farm can give them the funds to offer that young generation a full-time livable wage so they can quit their “city jobs.” Other young farmers feel the need to take on agritourism because they feel the capability to do so. One of the reasons I love to see people bring agritourism into their farm operation is because the next generation has an interest in it. Just as family farms can be strapped to provide enough income for the next generation, they can also be at a loss for work with multiple generations on the same farm. Being open to a new business venture like agritourism gives that new generation a space to carve out for themselves. Making them want to return to the family farm and continue it on for another generation.

Proposed Rulemaking Language:

Temporary Structures-The proposed ban on incidental sales, educational tour sales, and the sales of other farmers goods under temporary structures in unnecessary and damaging. Tents and other mobile setups are critical for begining agritourism businesses with limited capital. They’re also essential for employee safety and protecting sensitive sales equipment like scales and payment systems. If tents are allowed for employees selling products from the farm, why is the same luxury not afforded to employees selling educational tours or other items without jumping through license hoops. Worse, forcing these items to be sold under permanent structure on farmland reduces usable agricultural space—undermining the very goal of preserving working farm lands.

Farm Stand Development Standards & 7-Year Permit Review-The addition of Farm Stand Development Standards and recurring 7 year reviews is deeply problematic. It opens the door to new costs and compliance burdens every cycle, destabilizing small farm businesses. These rules invite DLCD to impose fees, modify permits, or revoke them altogether—subjecting farmers to a regulatory system more intrusive than any other land-use sector in the state. Imagine how much labor and funds farmers could be forced to waste trying to constantly reach compliance just to have the cycle start over again in seven years. To us it seems like a tool to try and discourage farmers from applying for Farmstand permits; to prevent new farmers from wanting to go into agritourism.

Redefining Incidental Items & Income Split-DLCD’s redefinition of “incidental items” is overly narrow and would ban many products long accepted at farmstands. Under current law farms earn up to 25% of their income from non-farm goods sales. The new language allows only items “directly related” to a farm’s own crops or livestock. That means a peach grower could sell peach butter made with peaches from his orchard, but not locally made marionberry jam—even if it’s from a neighboring farm. This isn’t supporting Oregon agriculture or other Oregon businesses; it’s isolating it. We love to support not only other local farmers but other small businesses. As a farmer we wear many hats including being a business owner, and when a new upcoming local business owner has a good that is farm or food related we want to support them by offering their good at E.Z. Orchards.

Prepared Foods – Despite HB 3133 highlighting the need for clarity, DLCD’s rules remain vague on whether prepared foods— such as cider donuts or milkshakes made from farm-grown ingredients— can be sold at the farmstand and in what quantities. This ambiguity has already led some counties to prohibit such sales. DLCD’s rules do not provide needed clarity.

New Limits On Farm-to-Table Dinners – The rules propose capping farm-to-table dinners at 17 per year, despite broad support from RAC members and existing income limits that already regulate their scale. We view this as arbitrary and unnecessary restrictions on something that the public loves and is important for farmers.

New Limits On Promotional Events – DLCD’s definition of promotional events excludes popular agritourism activities like petting zoos, hay rides, and live music unless they directly feature a farm product or have an educational component. This narrow framing will disqualify many beloved agritourism experiences.

Definition of “local agriculture”-While the DLCD staff do not currently have a proposed rulemaking change on the definition of local agriculture. Currently the definition of local agriculture is the entire state of Oregon plus bordering counties in neighboring states. They seem keen to change this definition, wasting precious time on the July 18th meeting discussing something that does not have proposed rule changes causing them to run out of time for their meeting. Land use watchdog groups are encouraging DLCD staff to restrict the definition of local agriculture to as small as 25 miles around the farm. Meaning farmstand would not be allowed to sell produce from areas outside the restricted area. We wouldn’t be allowed to sell Watermelon from Hermiston, Cherries from Hood River, Cranberries from Crook County, or Chestnuts from McMinnville. This is very concerning to us at E.Z. Orchards as we currently accept food support programs like EBT and Farm Direct Dollars. The Farm Direct Dollars must be used on locally grown produce, while the definition of local produce for the Farm Direct Dollars would not change (remaining the entire state of Oregon). It would limit what people who are in need could get with them as we would be limited on what we could offer.

Unfair Burden on Agritourism-Oregon loves to promote agritourism in theory but restricts it in practice. A recent OregonLive article highlighted a “Pines Estate with a century-old farmhouse and outbuildings could support a hospitality or agritourism venture.” While vineyards, and other non-agriculture industries are allowed to diversify and grow our economy. Farmers such as ourselves, are blocked at every turn. No other business sector in Oregon is held to this level of scrutiny, unpredictability, and regulatory burden. It sends the message that agritourism is not welcome in Oregon. Many farmers that we know feel this RAC has been designed to push them out.