>> For most of us, flowers are just something that brighten up the yard or help decorate for a special occasion.

But horticulture in all of its forms, from nursery plants, to landscaping, even garden equipment, is a multi-billion dollar industry in the United States.

And for some farm families, it's a way to use their land to attract visitors.

Visitors that bring in needed income.

Our Jason Shoultz found one family in Oregon welcoming tourists who tiptoe through the tulips.

>> It's early morning in Oregon's Willamette Valley and the irony of Ross Iverson's first morning chore of the day isn't lost on him.

>> Driving his diesel powered tractor past sedans and minivans, delivering wood to be burned in a steam engine.

On a tractor that he's never used on his farm.

But such is the life of a modern-day farmer-slash-tour guide >> You have to broaden it out.

you just don't make it on the farm crops.

That's just about the situation now.

>> It'll take a couple of hours for the boiler to heat up enough to power the tractor.

In the meantime people start arriving to take in the tulips in this beautiful valley.

♪♪ >> There are 50 acres of tulips planted here at The Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm.

That's more than 10 million reds, yellows, oranges and whites.

A photographer's dream.

And an escape for folks from more urban areas who otherwise wouldn't have an opportunity to experience farm life.

>> We kind of joke sometimes that we are really not in the flower business but in the business of creating experiences for people.

>> Barb Iverson is Ross Iverson's daughter and the President of the Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm.

It's a family operation with her sister in law in the gift shop.

Her brother carving up wooden shoes and her nephew helping out with farm operations.

>> Each year from late March to early May the farm opens its doors to visitors.

For a few bucks per carload people can wander the fields, grab some grub, or pick up a tulip trinket to take home from the gift shop.

>> The farm also is a popular destination for school field trips.

>> I think one of the things here is they come out we've got tractors, old steam tractors.

But I think one of the best things here is they can just come out and walk through the field.

There are many places where you can just go out and walk through a farmer's field.

And when you get out in the middle of a field, I don't care if it is a grass seed field or a potato field, whatever it is.

When you are out in the middle of a field that is an experience in itself.

And I think there is a lost connection with that urban population.

>> And Barb Iverson understands the attraction to this place.

She's an amateur photographer herself.

♪shutter sounds >> More and more farms and ranches across the US are opening their doors to visitors, this type of thing even has a name.

It's called "agritourism".

Although visitors don't explore the other working parts of this 2000 acre farm where they grow grass, wheat, and vegetables.

They do get to spend some time with Ross who started this farm back in 1950.

He's officially retired but you'll find him working over here pretty much every day.

>> I was running the trolley the other day and the man sitting next to me said do you need help with your money?

Look at all the money you are making here.

I said you know if I was running it you wouldn't be here.

I wouldn't let anyone on the place.

I'd pick all the flowers.

I wouldn't leave any for you to look at.

He kind of looked at me didn't know what to say.

>> Don't believe him.

Don't believe him.

He enjoys it.

>> Whatever he says, he enjoys it.

He wanders through and he always talks to people.

We have the tram ride in the field.

He jumps on that, and he'll drive back and forth just to visit people.

He really enjoys it.

>> After growing tulips for sale on the bulb market for several years in 1985 they decided to open their doors to the public.

They'll get upwards of 200,000 people visiting on a good year.

>> We had some neighbors that said oh you really need to open your field in the spring.

It's just gorgeous.

You should invite the public out and do it.

We would always poo poo them say no that's a lot of work.

And so one year Easter was going to fall right perfect were gonna be in full bloom.

And we thought, “you know, why dont we?” So we opened the tulip field and we had a traffic jam.

>> Really the agritourism is well worth it.

It's a lot of work though.

Youve got the liability, Youve got people everywhere all the time, Then again there is the rewards too.

>> And after a few hours, the steam powered tractor is ready for its turn in giving that farm experience.

>> This is a 1915 Russell.

Made in Massillon, Ohio.

>> Can you show me how to drive one of these things?

>> I sure can.

Do you have a learners permit?

Ha.

>> You don't tiptoe through the tulips with this baby.

The Iverson's neighbor Roy Thompson knows that visitors here aren't getting a complete taste of the ups and downs of farm life, but he says sharing a small slice is definitely worth it.

>> They don't see the rainy days and all that stuff.

But it's yeah.

To get out of those enclosures.

Pavement.

Get out into the dirt.

So we are out here just to give them something else to look at.

>> Yeah you can grow a great crop.

But there is also another reward that you get in farming, and theres a satisfaction that maybe you have made other people's lives a little bit better.