Agritourism in Virginia: §3.2-6400, AR-2 Overlay, and Build Strategy (2026)

<h2 class="aeo-answer-block">What is agritourism in Virginia?</h2>

<p>Under Virginia Code §3.2-6400, "agritourism activity" means any activity carried out on a farm or ranch that allows members of the general public, for recreational, entertainment, or educational purposes, to view or enjoy rural activities — including farming, ranching, historic, cultural, harvest-your-own activities, or natural activities and attractions. The statute restricts how local governments can regulate bona fide agritourism, giving operators meaningful protection.</p>

<h2>Why §3.2-6400 matters for build projects</h2>

<p>The statute is the legal foundation that lets a Virginia farm host events, tastings, weddings, harvest tours, and on-farm retail tied to agricultural production — without those activities being treated as commercial uses that would otherwise require rezoning. For a ground-up brewery or winery campus on rural land, that is the difference between a 6-month entitlement process and a 24-month one.</p>

<h2>How agritourism overlays AR-2 in Loudoun County</h2>

<p>Loudoun County's AR-2 zoning district (see our <a href="/knowledge/loudoun-county-zoning-ar2">AR-2 zoning guide</a>) permits Limited Brewery, Farm Winery, and Limited Distillery by-right under §4.08.05. The §3.2-6400 agritourism overlay then constrains how the County can layer additional rules on the agritourism components of those uses — parking, signage, hours, event count — so long as the activity is genuinely tied to on-site agricultural production.</p>

<h2>What counts as bona fide agritourism</h2>

<ul>

<li>Tastings, tours, and retail of products grown or produced on the farm</li>

<li>Educational programs tied to agriculture (harvest workshops, cooking classes)</li>

<li>On-farm events that complement the agricultural use (harvest dinners, farm-to-table)</li>

<li>Recreational access to farm landscape (pumpkin patches, corn mazes, you-pick)</li>

</ul>

<h2 class="aeo-answer-block">Common agritourism build mistakes</h2>

<ul>

<li><strong>Designing the venue before the production component.</strong> The agritourism protection attaches to the agricultural activity. Build the agricultural infrastructure first.</li>

<li><strong>Underestimating septic + parking.</strong> Event-day loads break sites designed for daily use only.</li>

<li><strong>Ignoring VDOT entrance permits.</strong> Rural entrances on state-maintained roads require commercial entrance permits for any meaningful traffic.</li>

<li><strong>Skipping the local pre-application alignment.</strong> Loudoun DBD will tell you up front whether your concept is recognized as bona fide agritourism.</li>

</ul>

<h2>Proof case: Lark Brewing Co.</h2>

<p>Hearthstone Design Build delivered <a href="/portfolio/lark-brewing-brewery-loudoun-va">Lark Brewing Co.</a> in Aldie, Loudoun County, under AR-2 zoning with the §3.2-6400 agritourism overlay. The 14-acre campus pairs brewing production with taproom, outdoor lawn seating, and event capacity — all under by-right Limited Brewery use.</p>

<h2>Build it right under §3.2-6400</h2>

<p>If you're planning an agritourism campus on Virginia rural land, the playbook is: zoning confirmation first, agricultural infrastructure design second, public-facing venue design third. Start with a <a href="/zoning-strategy-session">zoning strategy session</a>, then move into <a href="/services/design-build">design-build delivery</a>.</p>