MINNEAPOLIS — Questions are being asked about how a 13-year-old boy tragically lost his life during a haunted hayride in central Minnesota. It turns out there are few state regulations when it comes to fall favorites.

Alexander Mick was killed when he was run over by a tractor-drawn cart at the Harvest of Horror in St. Augustana Saturday night.

Tragedy now threatens Minnesota’s famous fall activities.

Peter Marshall is the owner of Peter’s Pumpkins in Shakopee — one of dozens of farms around the metro area engaged in agritourism, a growing industry with little oversight.

Marshall says all his safety precautions come from himself.

“It’s a source of joy for us, not only because agriculture is being cultivated, but also because people are having fun,” he said.

Although rare, tragic incidents linked to agritourism are not unprecedented. Last month, dozens of children were injured after a hay wagon overturned in a Wisconsin apple orchard.

Children, on the other hand, are at risk whenever they are near agricultural equipment. New research shows that around 115 children die each year in agriculture-related incidents. The vast majority of injuries occur when children are not even working.

Casper Bendixsen, director of the National Farm Medicine Center, says that while it’s a good thing that agritourism is becoming more popular, farmers might need help as they expand into the hospitality industry.

“There’s a lot at stake. There’s not just the human health of visitors and workers, there’s a business at stake and a community at stake,” Bendixsen said.

There is an agritourism law in Minnesota – a law giving operators limited liability with some exceptions, including negligence.