Sheila Everhart, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Agricultural Tourism Association points visitors to on-farm fun all across Wisconsin. She also asks the public to help remove barriers to agricultural tourism opportunities.

Hundreds of Wisconsin farmers are eager for you to visit their farms for adventures in eating, meeting animal farm babies, hiking/biking, taking classes, picking fruits and berries, and so much more. Public demand for on-farm experiences continues to grow.

This includes holding private events in on-farm barns, and enjoying Educational Farm Stays. Unfortunately, there are obstacles. And you can help remove these blockages by contacting your Wisconsin State Senator and Representative before this Legislative session ends in a few weeks. (Find your legislators here.)

• Pls urge your Senator and Representative to support Senate Bill 415 and Assembly Bill 413 so that Wisconsin farmers can offer Educational Farm Stays on their property.
• Pls go to Change.org and sign the petition to this effect. You can make a big difference.
• Also contact your Senator and Representative to move Senate Bill 850 and Assembly Bill 863 through committee and to a vote. These bills would again allow Wisconsin farmers to offer the public the opportunity to rent the space of an event venue (barn) for private, invitation-only celebration. As of January 2026, new legislation demands that a working farm must purchase a $10,000 liquor license, install expensive equipment, and operate as a bar if it wants to open its barn to more than six events a year. To be clear, for decades before this January, on-farm event venues operated legally and in compliance with all state and local regulations: These farm venues did not sell liquor in any form; the farms rented the barn space; the renter provided the alcohol (if any) to its invitation-only guests; the renter provided the required, licenses bartender.
• Register your support at https://instituteforjustice.quorum/campaign/128722/