Agri-Tainment

If you could go back in time and tell farmer from the early 1900s that farms would one day be a form of entertainment, they would have probably had you committed.

However, since today’s farmland is owned by large operations in most cases, with most people living in urban areas, many people haven’t ever seen a farm, let alone live near one. Less than 2% of all people live on a farm. So, over the past several years, a new type of agriculture job has arrived on the scene – working in agriculture entertainment, or agri-tainment.

Some examples of agri-tainment include the following:

• Farm-Related Theme Parks
• Farm that Hold Festivals
• Pick-Your-Own Fields
• Farm Tours and Museums
• Farms with Campgrounds and Picnic Areas
• Bed and Breakfasts on Farms

Agri-tainment combines farming and tourism. To work on this type of farm, you need to be a people person, because the main goal of the business is to entertain people, rather than produce food. Most agri-tainment farms do still produce crops or raise animals, but they also need to make farming fun and/or educational.

One of the best parts about working in agri-tainment is the opportunity to make more money than if you’d just work as a farmhand or even as a manager on a typical farm. People are paying for an experience here, not just the pumpkin that they pick or the ear of corn that they eat.

Jobs in agri-tainment vary depending on the type of form and entertainment focus. Some jobs are seasons, like all farm jobs. Others are full-time jobs where you can work year-round. Here are just a few examples of agri-tainment jobs:

• Cashier at a food stand, ticket booth, etc. at farm festivals
• Public relations and marketing
• Grounds maintenance
• Receptionist at a bed and breakfast
• Tour guide
• Curator
• Workshop/seminar presenter
• Security

Of course, these farms are usually operating as well, so they still need to fill farm positions to raise crops and animals. The agri-tainment field is flourishing, so this could be a great career path for you if you enjoy both farming and working with people.