Agritourism

Comparison of Farm Stay Listing Sites
This comparison table was developed in 2022 by the University of Vermont Extension and is designed to help agritourism operators make informed decisions about listing and booking farm stays and on-farm experiences.

Agritourism | University of Vermont Extension | The University of Vermont – This website has lots of information for farms open to visitors. Some of it is specific to Vermont, but much of it is general and relevant for Massachusetts farmers.

For farms considering overnight stays but don’t want to build infrastructure, here are two options that don’t require much investment:

Become a Host | Unique RV Camping with Harvest Hosts – Harvest Hosts works best for farms with products for sale.

Hipcamp | Earn More From Your Glamping, Camping or RV Space – Hipcamp is like Airbnb for camping.

For those interested in learning about and experiencing agritourism in other parts of the world, the Global Agritourism Network is a free network that connects farmers, ag service providers, and others working to support agritourism around the globe.

 Franklin County Agritourism Study

This 2005 study details the results of our extensive survey of hundreds of farms in Franklin County and the agritourism activities they present.

Agritourism Manual

Published in 2005, this manual is designed to help farmers create and execute a successful agritourism plan. It is rather dated, but much of the information is still relevant.

University of Georgia Agritourism Manual
Published in 2009, this manual provides guidance on how to develop a successful agritourism enterprise.

United States Department of Agriculture on Agritourism
The USDA provides this webpage by The National Agricultural Law Center, which gives an overview of agritourism including its definition, importance, and associated legal issues.

Here is a list of possible agritourism activities:

• Agricultural museum and displays
• Airbnb
• Archery
• Barn dances
• Bed and breakfast
• Biking trails
• Bird watching
• Birthday parties
• Breweries
• Cabin living
• Campfires (and marshmallows!)
• Camping
• Canning produce
• Canoeing
• Corn mazes
• Corporate and group events
• Cutting flowers (picking, arranging and planting)
• Cut-your-own Christmas tree and evergreens
• Farm cooking contests
• Farm scavenger hunts
• Farm stays
• Farm stores and markets
• Farm vacations (a day or a week on the farm: living, working, etc.)
• Fee-fishing pond (fishing, cleaning and cooking)
• Flower arranging workshops
• Haunted barns
• Hay wagon rides
• Heirloom plant and animal exhibits
• Herb walks
• Hiking paths (walking, identifying vegetation, determining a tree’s age, picnicking)
• Historic reenactments
• “How-to” clinics
• Hunting
• Ice cream parlor or bakery
• Jam- and jelly-making demonstrations
• Meeting barnyard animals (participating in educational programs focusing on each animal: shear the sheep, milk the “demonstration” cow, or participate in “cattle college”)
• Music events (banjo and guitar lessons), concerts, and festivals
• Orchards and pick-your-own (picking, sitting, picnics under the trees)
• Pancake breakfasts
• Plant a garden
• Pony and horseback riding
• Pumpkin patch (picking, painting, carving, and buying)
• Quilting/weaving exhibitions
• Restaurants/dining (farm food, slow dining, Sunday brunches—all local of course)
• Snow sledding
• Sorghum milling
• Stargazing and moonlight activities
• Storytelling/story swaps
• Straw bale maze
• Tours for children and families
• Vegetable contests
• Virginia Standards of Learning and the farm
• Weddings
• Wine making and tasting
• Wineries

Note: keep in mind that many people have idealized visions of farms; they often do not anticipate realities of farming like manure.