Agritourism Community Conversations Overview

Prince William County Department of Economic Development & Tourism (PWCDEDT) held three Agritourism Community Conversations on July 27 - 29 for residents and business owners to provide feedback about the future of agribusiness and agritourism.

County supervisors and government staff heard directly from more than 100 residents and business owners over the three days, with meetings at Brentsville Hall, Winery at La Grange, and Harbour View Events Center. Often spirited in nature, the conversations covered historic farming, land preservation, and opportunities for tourism.

As the result of three Prince William Board of County Supervisors (BOCS) directives starting in February 2024, Agritecture was hired to study the county's agricultural economy. The study kicked off in September 2025 and has been gathering benchmark data and collecting feedback from farmers in the rural communities of Prince William County via operator interviews, farm site visits, and community engagement meetings.

During each community meeting, Agritecture Founder & CEO Henry Gordon-Smith and Systems Analyst Brakeley Bryant presented their findings, including identifying the seven gaps adversely affecting the future growth of agritourism and agribusiness in the county. Out of those gaps, Agritecture is proposing four recommendations:

• addressing farm tax treatment,
• updating zoning,
• supporting working farmers, and
• making long-term infrastructure investments.

The conversation isn't over yet. If you missed our Agribusiness & Agritourism Study community engagement meetings last week, the survey is open through September 1, giving residents and agriculture-related businesses another opportunity to share feedback and help guide the future of these industries in Prince William County.

Please take the survey by September 1: https://www.pwcded.org/news/rural-economy-conversations-benchmark-the-next-stage