S. 3392 — AGRITOURISM Act

This section states congressional findings that agritourism—which provides public experiences including education (e.g., school tours, winery tours), outdoor recreation (e.g., hiking, hunting), entertainment (e.g., festivals, weddings), direct sales (e.g., u-pick operations, farm stands), accommodations (e.g., guest ranches), and on-farm dining—yields financial, educational, and social benefits to communities and continues to support education, farm income, rural economic development, agricultural heritage, farm diversification, and ongoing farm production. The section expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretary of Agriculture should comprehensively incorporate agritourism into Department of Agriculture activities.

This section establishes an Agritourism Advisor position—a senior official in USDA's Office of the Under Secretary for Rural Development—to promote agritourism activities and businesses (e.g., educational experiences, outdoor recreation, entertainment, direct sales, accommodations) in each state, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, and on lands under the jurisdiction of Indian tribes. The Advisor must coordinate with USDA agencies and officials; advise the Secretary; update programs with best practices; conduct outreach, mentorship, and technical assistance; facilitate interagency coordination; improve farm enterprise development programs; coordinate business networks; consolidate federal resources; and collaborate with other agencies. This section also makes technical and conforming amendments to the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 to accommodate the new section 237, including redesignating the Food Access Liaison provision as section 224A.