To help subsidize their income, many farmers and ranchers are turning an eye toward the agri-tourism industry, often with the assistance of state development commissions.

One such program, KAAPA Country-Adventures, is currently making presentations to interest prospective rural tourism providers in South Dakota.

Sponsored by the Kearney Area Ag Producers Alliance out of Nebraska, Country-Adventures offers providers a chance to promote their tourism packages, as well as products, online.

Presentations about the program are currently being given as part of a USDA Rural Business Opportunity Grant.

"It's kind of like eBay, where can buy and sell anything rural, unique or real," said Kelly Krier, marketing director for Country-Adventures.

Speaking in Yankton Monday morning, Krier said South Dakota is ideal for rural tourism as so much of it is privately-owned rural land.

"There's a tremendous amount of supply out there," she said. "It's just really endless."

Interest from tourists is also high, with more than two-thirds of the nation participating in some type of outdoor activity each year, Krier said.

"(They want to) experience something new," she said. "They want to try on other people's lives. They want enjoy homemade and handmade items. They want to see and do what farmers and ranchers see and do every day. ...

"We always say, 'What you do every day is what the consumer or the tourists want to do for a day,'" she said. "A lot of people say, 'Why would anybody want to come to my property?' ... but people do, because so many generations have passed from that experience."

Country-Adventures categorizes its tourism packages under five different headings, including "Outdoor Trails," "Rural Hospitality" and "Country Lodging."

Each of these offers a different type of experience, from simple to more complex.

"It depends on what you want to offer," Krier said. "You need to make it worth their while. ? Some farm tours cost $125 (per person). That usually has some food with it, and usually more than one activity. It all just depends on the farmer or rancher."

However, there are some options that the program recommends.

"We always say you need something to do, something to see and something to buy," Krier said. "So people with bed-and-breakfasts, if people are staying overnight and come to breakfast, make sure you sell the jelly that was on the toast. Always offer something additional that people can go home with."

Much of the appeal of these packages stems from the fact that they allow urban residents to do things they don't normally get to do.

Last year, one family took a package that allowed them to celebrate Christmas as they may have in the early 1900s, Krier said.

"They had a really good time," she said. "Those boys of theirs got to skin a deer, and that was a big deal to them."

For a $250 fee, Country-Adventures has a rural marketing assistance program to help landowners who are unsure of how to properly utilize their resources.

There are also several on-line marketing options. The first is the on-line store, which allows customers to make purchases through the Country-Adventures Web site. Space is rented at $7.50 per year, with a 15 percent marketing fee for each sale.

The "standard kiosk" option does not allow purchases, but does list any information the supplier would want the customer to know, such as it's Web site and telephone number. It costs $40 per month.

The third option is a combination of the other two options and costs $288 per year with a 12 percent marketing fee, Krier said.

"We always talk about Country-Adventures like a mall concept, because as you know, with a single stand-alone store, people will go to it, but if you have more to offer ? then you have more people going in the doors, and maybe more buyers," she said.

More information about the program is available on-line at www.country-adventures.com.