BURLINGTON — University of Vermont Extension, in collaboration with the Vermont Fresh Network and Dig in Vermont, recently released a new regulatory navigation tool for agritourism operators.

The free tool is designed to help both individuals new to agritourism or those interested in expanding their enterprises understand and access information about the permits, laws, licenses, land use regulations and liabilities involved in Vermont agritourism. It also increases accessibility to important information, including what steps farmers and agribusiness owners can take for a successful enterprise.

The information can be accessed online at go.uvm.edu/atguide. Viewers can select an agritourism activity to pursue, and then click on the image for a “Getting Started Guide” that provides information and action items specific to that enterprise. Activities include farmstays, on-farm events, food trucks/food stands, store or market, summer camps, farmstand/pick-your-own, food made from farm products and farm tours/educational events.

Another useful resource is the “Regulatory Checklist,” a seven-page pdf document that can be downloaded and printed. It covers basic regulatory information and action steps for entering into an agritourism operation or activity. It also contains additional resources for specific agritourism businesses, such as weddings, summer camps, farmstays and on-farm dinners.