Agritourism in Greene Brings Visitors

By Danielle Nyland

Running a farm is a hard job; keeping a small farm self-sustaining is even more difficult. As many people turn to large businesses to get their goods, like produce, meats, and dairy, many small, independent farms suffer. Farmers are increasingly turning to another method to help keep their farms self-sustaining – the business of bringing in tourists.

Agritourism is bringing visitors to agricultural based businesses around the country and Greene County is no different. An area rich in agricultural history and scenic, bucolic beauty, Greene County is the perfect place to get away from city life and take a vacation – even if just for a few hours of a day. The growing interest in fresh and local food products provides the perfect audience.

“People in the city are willing to come down and spend the day or weekend working on a farm, cleaning manure, and milking cows, just to get a break from the city,” shares JoAnne Marshall, Tourism Director, with a smile. “It’s a trending way for people to get away right now.”

Farms dot the pastoral beauty of Greene County’s rolling hills and many of them welcome visitors for tours and more. Cole’s Greene Acres in Holbrook offers short-term rentals perfect for a country getaway and is a working family farm. Visitors can choose to spend their getaway relaxing in the cabin, enjoy fishing in the stocked pounds, hike the 700 acres, or get a taste of the farm life with a tour the farm and some animal encounters. They also have a venue for weddings.“We’re a country getaway, completely unplugged” says Shane Cole. “We mostly cater to pople from Pittsburgh, but we’ve had visitors from farther away, like Baltimore. I’m retired from the military and it’s been a great way to spend my time.”

In Waynesburg, Frosty Springs Farms offers visitors a chance to visit a working farm. They are especially energetic about welcoming students to the farm for educational experiences and work with many area schools.

Lippencott Alpacas, located a short drive from I-79 brings day-trippers in to spend time with the alpacas, getting to get up close to touch and lead them. They also run a farm store, where they manufacture items from alpaca fiber. “Agirourism has helped immensley,” says Lena Galing, owner of Lippencott Alpacas with her husband, Phil. “The whole focus is on animals, and people. To get people involved is the same for us as with any farmers, to get more involved in the community and make it sustainable.” She adds, “The tourism office, especially, really helps to promote us and others. It’s a community effort. I feel its very strong here in Pennsylvania and in Waynesburg.”

Save-A-Horse Stables in Rogersville is a horse sanctuary that welcomes visitors to the farm, where they can see horses roam in a healthy, natural environment. In addition, to the horse sanctuary, they also have a working farm, but when the visitors come, it’s mostly to see the horses. Save-A-Horse sees mostly local visitors now, but previously used to see more out-of-town traffice when they had riding lessons at the stables. Both Save-A-Horse and Lippencott Alpacas hold an annual Open House, bringing large numbers of tourists to the area.

Greene County is also home to quite a few annual festivals – and a lot of them celebrate the agriculture that is so important. The Sheep & Fiber Festival, held annually each May, celebrates the how fiber has played a large part in our rich heritage. Demonstrations throughout the day in sheep herding, shearing, and fiber arts take place amid the many vendors selling their homemade goods.

Later in the summer, Greene’s two annual agricultural fairs – the Jacktown Fair and the Greene County Fair – take place in July and August, respectively. You can’t die happy until you’ve visited the Legendary Jacktown Fair, which has been running consecutively since 1866 – an amazing feat! The Greene County Fair is everything you want in a fair showcasing the area’s agriculture – rides, animal barns to visit, fair food, and plenty of homemade and homegrown displays.

Agritourism isn’t just limited to farms and festivals – there’s a third F that draws people in: food. Downtown Waynesburg is home to Greene County’s only farmer’s market from mid-May to mid-October. The farmer’s market offers local farmers, bakers, and others the chance to bring their goods to the customer without the overhead of a permanent storefront.

During the fall, Farm to Fork offers another opportunity to bring in travelers from across the area, for a night of music, food and wine. “Farm to Fork truly demonstrates the draw from the city to the country,” says JoAnne. “People come to taste food that’s came straight from area farms, prepared right there, all while enjoying local wines.” The local wine comes from Thistlethwaite Vineyards in Jefferson, where the event is held. Thistlethwaite also caters to visitors yearround,

The benefit from agritourism is the outside dollars that come into Greene County to support local agriculture but one of the best parts of supporting and increasing agritourism in Greene is the boost that gives all Greene County businesses. Those that come in for a day on the farm or for a tour of the winery will often stop at other local boutiques or to grab a bite to eat. Agritourism is beneficial for the economy, educates non-farm citizens, and protects the farms that are so dear to rural Greene County.