Safety, Liability, and Risk Management
Welcoming guests onto your premises offers numerous advantages, but it also brings new potential hazards. In the interest of safeguarding your property, animals, and visitors, it's important to understand the potential dangers of agritourism and work to minimize your exposure to risks.
Treat agritourism safety as a comprehensive strategy. Take action to preempt visitors from encountering farm-related dangers and create a plan for managing unfavorable situations when they arise.
Create parallel plans for adult and child visitors
Addressing the safety and engagement needs of children
Hosting children on your farm requires careful planning to ensure a safe and enjoyable visit. Children are naturally curious and eager for hands-on experiences. Children will be excited to touch animals, plants, and farm equipment, providing excellent opportunities to teach them about food origins and engage them in age-appropriate farm tasks.
However, this curiosity also presents risks. Children may not be diligent about hand washing after animal contact or may unknowingly put themselves in danger.
According to the National Children's Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety, a child dies in an agriculture-related incident approximately every three days, with 33 children injured daily. These figures underscore the critical importance of implementing and strictly enforcing safety measures when hosting children on farms, whether for field trips, summer camps, or other activities.
Click here to see an example child supervision policy.
Ensuring safe and engaging experiences for adult visitors
Adult visitors bring their own set of challenges. They often have strong opinions and may be reluctant to follow rules. This can be particularly tricky when farms offer activities like alcohol tastings or sales.
To mitigate risks associated with adult visitors, clear communication is key. Set expectations before arrival, clearly outline responsibilities if they are bringing children, and ensure they understand and agree to follow farm rules. While adults may require less constant supervision than children, they still need clear guidance to ensure their safety and the safety of others on the farm.
Learn more about Safety Planning and Emergencies
Learn more about Liability in Agritourism Operations
Learn more about Risk Management and Insurance
Other resources to support safe agritourism experiences:
Example Master Accountability Record
Medical Information and Informed Consent Handout
Best Practices for safe interaction with animals
Resources for Entertainment Activities:
On-farm entertainment activities like corn mazes, hay rides, and special events present unique challenges and risks not typically encountered in traditional farm operations. These attractions involve direct visitor interaction with your farm’s environment while encouraging a fun, active experience, increasing the potential for accidents or injuries. Entertainment activities often require specialized insurance, adherence to safety regulations, and effective crowd management strategies. Check out the resources below to learn more.
General:
For Corn Mazes:
For Play Areas:
For Hayrides:
Photo courtesy of The Inn at East Hill Farm, NY, and ABC Acres, MT
