Audrey Comerford

Audrey Comerford, OSU Extension Service
Photo: Audrey Comerford, OSU Extension
she/her/hers

Agritourism Coordinator

[email protected]

Expertise: Agritourism

Programs: OSU Small Farms

Locations: Marion County , Polk County , Yamhill County

Content by Audrey Comerford

Online Course: Developing a successful agritourism business in Oregon

If you've considered agricultural tourism as an option for your farm business, then this is the class for you. Over the course of this program, you will build an understanding of the multiple elements involved in setting up and managing a successful agritourism enterprise. These topics include types of agricultural tourism enterprises and how agritourism can become a part of your whole farm business. You will learn about managing risk, understanding legal requirements, marketing your agricultural tourism business, and customer service and hospitality.

Melissa Fery, Audrey Comerford | Apr 2022 | Online resource Peer reviewed (Gray level)

Increasing Farm Viability Through Agritourism and On-Farm Direct Sales: An Oregon Producer Survey

Agritourism with on-farm direct sales is a way for farms to increase their business success. This survey of Oregon producers explores how small and midsized farms are expanding beyond basic production, adding value and claiming more consumer support.

Mary Stewart, Audrey Comerford, Bruce Sorte, Sam Angima | Jul 2021 | OSU Extension Catalog Peer reviewed (Orange level)

Marion Farm Loop connects people to local food systems during COVID-19

Working with Oregon Agritourism Partnership, which runs the Marion Farm Loop, Extension organized meetings, helped create and produce a brochure highlighting the 24 farms in the loop, as well as an interactive website.

Audrey Comerford | Mar 2021 | Impact story

Adding Agritourism: Developing Your Plan & Working with Your County

Agritourism is a type of farm-direct marketing. It allows you to increase income by giving visitors direct sales of products, education, entertainment, lodging and recreational activities. First and most important: You must have a ...

Melissa Fery, Pami Monnette, Audrey Comerford | May 2020 | Article Peer reviewed (Gray level)

Adding Agritourism: How to cultivate neighbor and farmer relations to avoid conflict

Agritourism promotes public support for agriculture. But it can also bring traffic and crowds to rural areas. That's why agritourism operators need to cultivate good neighbor relations to avoid conflicts.

Pami Monnette, Melissa Fery, Audrey Comerford | Feb 2020 | Article

Adding agritourism: How to create successful tours for your farm or ranch

Hosting tours on your farm or ranch can provide additional income and help tell an important story about Oregon agriculture, rural communities and local food production. Here's a guide to getting started.

Audrey Comerford, Melissa Fery, Pami Monnette | Jan 2020 | Article Peer reviewed (Gray level)

How Oregon State University Programming Supports the Development of Agritourism Activities (Including Farm-Direct Sales) in Oregon

Oregon State University (OSU) faculty members have supported the success of agriculture producers and their businesses for more than 100 years. Through research, education and community engagement, OSU faculty have helped agriculture producers and value-added operators respond to threats and opportunities in a manner that has brought vitality and sustainability to the state’s multi-billion dollar agriculture industry. A segment of OSU faculty members has been supporting the growth of an emerging sector of agriculture in Oregon—known as agritourism—for many years. Agritourism includes farm-direct sales and four other categories of agritourism activities.¹

Mary Stewart, Audrey Comerford | Jan 2020 | Educational document Peer reviewed (Gray level)

How Instagram Stories Can Help Direct Traffic to Your Agritourism Operation

The use of social media for agritourism, including farm direct sales operations, is quickly becoming an important tool in the marketing tool belt. Potential new visitors and regular customers are using platforms such as Instagram to find the next great authentic farm experience and a place to by local farm products.

Audrey Comerford, Mary Stewart | Sep 2019 | Fact Sheet Peer reviewed (Gray level)

Food Trail Offers a Taste of Polk County

Farm loops are an excellent means to draw customers to a farm and educate an urban audience that is often three and four generations removed from agriculture.

Mitch Lies | May 5, 2020 | News story

With accommodations, Oregon U-pick farms are opening for business

Farmers that feature on-farm picking are gearing up to welcome visitors, starting at the end of May for strawberries and mid- to late June for blueberries.

May 22, 2020 | News story

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