Thousands of people flocked to the area recently to attend the Farm Progress Show in Boone and if they had questions about what was happening in Iowa, many of them looked to Joanie Coate for answers.

Coate grew up in Casey and currently lives in Dexter.  She’s the new owner of Inbound Iowa and has a wealth of knowledge in the growing interest in rural Iowa and agritourism.

Coate says people from all over the world look to Iowa for tips on agriculture.  Brazilians look for indications on what they will be experiencing in the near future and recently toured corn and soybean farms and wind energy facilities in central Iowa.  Meanwhile, many Australian visitors flocked to Guthrie County to tour the White Pole Road and visit the Dale Valley Vineyard and Winery.

Plus with Halloween right around the corner, this is one of the most popular times of the year for agritourism events such as corn mazes and bonfires which can be enjoyed at Corn Crib Catering out of Madrid.

But for those looking for some historical value, the Garst Farm in rural Coon Rapids is a popular hot spot as Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev visited there on at least two occasions in the late 1950s.

Coate says agritourism is a booming businesses and she’s currently working with the Guthrie County Cattlemen’s Association to bring even more events to the area.