Just as I was getting used to edu-tainment (education that’s entertaining), eater-tainment (restaurants that sell themed experience), and enter-tailing (retailers with an experiential eye), along comes another contender for audience time and attention: agri-tainment. It’s a catch phrase for farms and other agricultural businesses that push tourist or attraction revenue to balance their books. According to this article on the trend:
Today, the economic existence of many family farms is being threatened by the modern global agricultural economy. To offset the loss of traditional farm income, many farms are taking advantage of their unique nostalgic, rural and outdoor appeal by developing entertainment attractions as additional sources of income, sometimes referred to as ‘agri-tainment’ (‘agri’culture plus enter’tainment’) or agri-tourism. These options range from such strategies as U-pick-it or pick-your-own, petting zoos, hay rides children’s play areas and children’s discovery farms to destination mazes, school field trips and unique eating destinations. One of the most successful independent entertainment destinations in the United States, Knott’s Berry Farm, started as a traditional U-pick-it berry farm.
The new hyphenated competitor sprung to wider attention in Wisconsin recently, as one county board worked to regulate such efforts on working farms. To their eye, corn mazes, country breakfasts, hayrides, and pumpkin festivals were drawing crowds and traffic, raising health and safety concerns, and stressing rural community infrastructure.
Regardless the regulation, arts managers will now have to add another industry to their watch list of leisure time, experience-based competitors. Who’s next? Pharmaceuticals?