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Agritourism Diversification: Low-cost and Low-maintenance Overnight Farm Stays

Would you like to offer farm stays on your farm but don't have the infrastructure? This article provides an overview of what to consider when offering low-infrastructure farm stays.

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Updated:

January 9, 2023

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Hosting visitors for farm stays is one way to diversify your income and provide an opportunity for visitors to learn about farming practices, where their food comes from, and engage with the rural community. However, not every agricultural producer has a picturesque farmhouse available to rent. Based on our experience, farm stays with tents or RV sites, which offer a low-cost entry point for hosting visitors, have become more popular.

By offering low-cost and low-maintenance overnight farm stays, farmers can take advantage of a unique opportunity to provide hospitality services while still managing their core business activities. Several different farm stay options and listing services are available, and it can take time to know where to start. Vermont Agritourism Collaborative's Comparison of Farm Stay Listing Sites provides a helpful table that categorizes several listing sites and shares information about each including fee structure, requirements, farmer support, and more. Low infrastructure offerings fall into the “niche” category. Options range from offering a campground on the farm and hookups for RVs to site setups of tents.

Questions to Ask Before Starting

Before venturing into offering hospitality services, you should ask yourself a couple of questions. Taking the time to thoughtfully consider these issues will ensure your farm stay offering is as successful as possible.

Am I comfortable with having strangers on my farm? Consider whether you want individuals that you don't know on your property and potentially entering outbuildings or interacting with farm animals. Plan to demarcate the areas within your farm that are safe for visitors and where visitors are not allowed.

What are the applicable zoning requirements for my location? Before hosting your first paying guest, make sure that doing so is legal. Check to see if your local government requires any special permits.

Can I provide a safe environment for my visitors? While visitors who book tent/RV farm stays are signing on for a more open environment, they will still expect that they will feel and be safe on your farm. Consider such things as wild animals (bears, foxes, etc), potential trespassers, and natural landscape features (streams, rock outcroppings, etc.).

Do I have enough time to maintain the camp/tent/RV site and bookings? While offering the actual farm stays is low-cost and low maintenance, to be successful with this venture you will still need to dedicate time to maintain your web listings, communicate with those who send questions or book, and maintain the site(s) on your farm to an acceptable level.

How much do I want to engage with visitors? Give thought to whether you enjoy and want to interact with a wide variety of people. While some visitors may relish the opportunity to disconnect and spend their time alone, others may view a farm stay as an opportunity to immerse themselves in farm life and want to assist you with your work or engage in lengthy conversations.

What is the market like in my surrounding area? As with any aspect of your business, it's important to assess the competition. Are there other farms in your area that also offer farm stays? How will what you offer compare? What would draw visitors to each location? Your answers to these questions will be the foundation for your marketing and promotions.

What to Consider

Scheduling

With multiple listing sites and calendar syncing software, you can keep a clear and accurate record of your bookings in one place. Using sites that sync automatically will help you save time from not having to manually enter data repeatedly. A commercial platform can simplify the booking process, allowing visitors to book quickly and easily. Additionally, it will enable you to check availability and set up notifications or alerts when bookings are made. This can help you stay organized and sync it with your schedule. However, while some reservation sites will provide calendar synchronization, it is critical to ensure that syncing works both ways. To ensure data accuracy, manually updating calendars on multiple sites that do not sync is a required daily task.

Fees

All the listing services and reservation sites charge some type of fee. While some platforms charge a flat fee, others take a percentage of each booking or require a subscription. Make sure to include these in your business case considerations and budgeting.

Taxes

Listing sites can vary when it comes to handling taxes. Before you list your farm, ensure you understand how the site calculates and charges local, state, and federal taxes so you'll have a clear picture of what income is generated from the listing and what you may need to pay or report.

Insurance

Insurance is an essential factor to consider. Even though certain websites provide liability coverage when you list with them, it's still recommended that you have your own policy. Be sure to have a conversation with your insurance provider about what your policy will cover.

Promotion

While your property will be listed on the service you choose, remember to include information about your farm stay options on your own website and promote them through your social media channels. Create a dedicated section on your website specifically for farm stays or include information about your farm stay program in your general marketing efforts. Updating your website with high-quality photos and well-written content will help potential guests understand what they can expect if they choose to stay with you and can help persuade them to book a reservation.

To learn more, the webinar Offering Niche Farm Stays shares information about low-infrastructure farm stays. This webinar, held in November 2022, featured panelists from Hipcamp, Harvest Hosts, and Howling Wolf Farm in Vermont.