I learned a new word this past weekend—Agritourism! Who knew there was a whole word for all the farm stays, farm stands, and farm-to-table dining?
This new word came across my path quote literally as I rode up and down Krome Avenue in Western Miami. This stretch of road is one of several popular bicycle paths, better known for its access to farmed goods and supplies.
I enjoyed a few hours ride in the afternoon sun, visiting different farm vendors. From homemade breads to roasted corn on the cob—this was an agritourism experience I’d like to taste all over again soon!
Agritourism
Agritourism is a major industry that some farms opt into for additional revenue. Agritourism includes several different categories:
consumer sales (e.g., farm stands, u-pick)
education (e.g., school trips to visit farms)
accommodation (e.g., farm stays)
recreation (e.g., fishing, horseback riding)
entertainment (e.g., hayrides, corn mazes, animal feeding).
I had no idea agritourism was a word, all the while participating in it all my life! When I learned the above, I realized I’ve participated in or thought about participating in agritourism on a number of occasions all over the world! I picked apples where there was entertainment for kids and adults. I’ve gone on hayrides and through corn mazes for annual Haunted experiences in October. I’ve even looked at a few farm stays here and there when searching Airbnb options for short, local trips.
This past weekend, I participated in agritourism again without knowing it had a specific name in the travel and tourism industry.
U.S. Department of Agriculture census data from over the years found that Agritourism grew by 67% from 2007 to 2017. Another census is set for 2022—I’m so curious to learn if the pandemic caused a decrease or an increase in agritourism. My guess is it would have continued to rise despite the pandemic since most farm-related activities are outdoors. It was one of the safer activities to continue participating in over the last 2 years!
Riding Krome Ave
This past weekend, I was looking for something to do outside. I wanted to be active but also see and try something new. I started looking at various suggested bicycle paths around Miami.
I already rode Old Cutler Bay—which is a local favorite shaded by lots of beautiful trees and foliage. But I wanted sun exposure! I needed my Vitamin D!
I live pretty close to Homestead, FL which is just South of Miami and home to many farms. When I saw Krome Avenue pop up and noticed it was only about 20 minutes southwest of me, I knew I found a good option. Although it is a highway, there was a clearly marked and paved bike path that kept me off the main road.
Looking into it a bit further, I saw that this stretch of avenue goes from all the way North of where I live down into Florida City, from SW 8th Street Tamiami Trail to and SW 296th Street. This 18.5 mile stretch is a chill, flat ride with intermittent shade. I rode along for a shorter, sunnier section.
I rode a 2.4-mile stretch from 154th at New Beginnings Nursery to 192nd just passed Otega Nursery. This was, what I believe to be, the most plentiful in terms of farms and eateries to visit.
I specifically chose this stretch of rode because it seemed to be one of the only parts that had plentiful farms to stop at and places to eat.
I literally just opened Google Maps and checked out the whole route to decide which part to go to. The section with the most fork and knife map markers and places with the name “farm” led me there. Otherwise, I had no idea what to expect!
I parked on the road next to New Beginnings Nursey, popped my bike off the rack, and started to ride.
Roadside Views On Krome Ave
What I immediately found was long stretches with views of farmland stretching out to the horizon. Beyond the farms to the West would be the Everglades, but all I could see from the road was rows and rows of crops!
The stretch along the East side of the road also included rows of tilled soil and occasionally some forested areas.
One stretch of forest area on the West side took me by surprise. Rows of evenly planted palms. This was a tree farm—possible affiliated with nearby Green Ideas Nursery.
What’s For Sale Along Krome Ave
There is much to see and buy along Krome Avenue. The following is a breakdown of the main consumer goods on offer.
Plants And Trees
I realized this area includes lots of plant and tree nurseries. It’s too bad I don’t own any actual property, or I might have given in and bought something from them!
Garden Statues
Also super unexpected for this area was the sell of garden sculptures! I guess this keeps with the nursery theme. People doing landscaping and curb appeal on their homes would definitely find all they need along Krome Ave.
Animal Petting
Agritourism also often involves animals. This aspect draws in families with children who want to pet cute farm animals and adults who want an instagram selfie with them, too. Families come for their kids to have these experiences to escape modernity and urban life and reconnect with nature. The adults also end up buying food, maybe plants, or whatever else might be on offer.
I don’t eat cow or drink cow’s milk and I limit my intake of poultry, eggs, and pork. I also try to buy my meat ethically sourced (i.e., free range). While I am still a consumer of these foods, I refrained from any paid petting activities or taking of selfies because animal tourism like this crosses an ethical line for me. There is something weirdly exploitative about it for me. These animals become not just a source of food but a laborer in our capitalist economy—there for entertainment, edutainment, and human self-fulfillment. They sometimes face long hours and never get out of their containment unless they act out and harm themselves or tourists. It’s difficult to know their work conditions.
I steer (pardon the pun) clear.
Produce And Snacks
I came across many farms with signs along their fencing advertising different produce or available snacks that I wanted to try.
These signs are usually posted as you approach the farm. You have a short window of time to see the signs and stop before passing by in your car. By bicycle, there’s no way to miss the stop!
A lot of the produce seemed a bit overpriced to me. This was a little disappointing since I was hoping to do some of my weekly grocery shopping here. I just couldn’t justify it knowing I could do better on price at my local market.
But I still enjoyed looking around to see what they had. And now I know where I can go for farm fresh, straight to consumer produce if I want it!
There were several covered, open-air pavilions and stands where people could order food and sit around a picnic table with friends. I really enjoyed seeing so many people choosing to eat at these locations.
I stopped at a Colombian restaurant called El Rancho de los Frijoles Krome. They had a really nice and varied outdoor space, including a large pavilion that felt like a community gathering space. Most of the patrons seemed to be Colombian.
While I felt a little bit like an outsider walking through, I would love to return there with some friends to try some new foods!
I pulled into U-Pick Farmers Market to check out what they had for sale. This market often has live music and games for kids on the weekends in addition to its farmer’s market.
Again, I didn’t opt for any fresh produce but I did go for these little sweet breads by Fresh Home Made in Homstead. I’ve had one of these breads before and decided to get a coconut and a banana bread this time. At $7 each, they are worth it from what I remember! They are now in my freezer ready to be eaten by me and future company.
The Eastern side of Krome Ave does not have a designated bike path. I went over there anyway since there were many additional places to explore. One of those places included Lily's Farm Animals & Lily's Farmers Market. I ignored the part about the farm animals and instead went in for their corn on the cob.
Many places up and down this area offered roasted corn as a snack. I aw it several times before I finally decided to get it at this location. They had a cute little covered eating area next to their Orchid and Bonsai garden.
I really enjoyed this corn! It was super fresh and sweet. They had a bunch of toppings to choose from, including:
Butter
Mayo
Salt
Queso
Tajiín
Lemon Pepper
Black Pepper
I got mine with butter, queso (cheese), and tajiín. Tajiín is a Mexican spice that combines chili and citrus flavors. These three toppings were a super tasty combination on my roasted corn!
I enjoyed the shiny teapot planters as centerpieces at the picnic tables.
Something really cute is that they served the corn with a spearmint! I guess people get some bad tajiín after breath!
A Highlight: Farmhouse Miami
The most fulfilling stop I made was at Farmhouse Miami.
Farmhouse Miami is where I learned about the term agritourism. For one, they are definitely a prime example of it. But I specifically learned the term from a sign that mentioned it! Apparently Florida law protects Agritourism operators from liability risks.
Inside their shop, they sold many different kinds of jarred goods—honey, jam, syrup, pickled items, and more. At the counter for the cafe, you could order various items off the farm-to-table menu or choose snacks such as all natural homemade popsicles in various flavors or homemade empanadas ready to eat.
I was well into my sunny ride and ready to cool down with a popsicle. I chose the coconut flavor! It was so good.
Farmhouse Miami obviously invested in this agritourism deal. They host events there. They also have spread around area various food trucks and other places to sit and eat, many areas with hammocks to hang out, several gorgeous coy ponds, a playground, a bouncy pad, animal petting, and more.
I particularly enjoyed the beautiful coy pond setting. It was a nice place to chill as I finish my popscicle!
In Conclusion
I had a great time enjoying my first known-dive into Agritourism. While I’ve definitely participated in these types of experiences before, this was the first time I did so knowing that its a whole sub-industry of the tourism industry! It’s also the first time I’ve done this in South Florida (aside from Robert Is Here fruit stand) and by bicycle!
This was an easy, 2 hour experience that broke up my Saturday afternoon nicely. I’d definitely to do it again but bring along some friends and an emptier stomach!
