Farmers squeezed by higher operating expenses are looking beyond crops and livestock. According to Fox News, hosting tourists has become a lifeline for some farm families facing mounting financial pressure amid higher operating costs.
A grant effort from Airbnb and American Farmland Trust aims to help even more farmers.
Here's what to know
For Lynette Ralph, hosting tourists has helped keep her horse ranch going. She told Fox News that she rents out a cabin on her Pacific, Missouri, property. Overnight guests can see the horses during their stay and, for an added fee, sign up for riding or horsemanship lessons.
"If I didn't have the short-term rentals associated with the riding program, I would have to probably liquidate, sell the horses, sell the property," Ralph said.
Households tied to intermediate farms — smaller operations where farming is the main job of the principal operator — had a median farming loss of about $2,800 in 2024, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data cited by Airbnb.
More background
Airbnb reported that over the first half of 2026, searches for farm stays rose 61% compared to the same period in 2025, according to Fox News.
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David Haight, vice president of programs at American Farmland Trust, told the outlet that agritourism can act as a hedge against rising expenses, unstable markets, and unpredictable growing conditions. "Many families are looking for ways to diversify income, and so bringing people out to the farm or ranch for some is a way to help bring in other dollars," he said.
He added that travelers who stay on agricultural properties may also spend money at nearby restaurants, shops, and other local businesses, helping circulate tourism dollars through rural communities.
That income can also help farms expand rather than simply survive. In Georgia, farm stay host Gilda Lyon said rental earnings helped her add cabins, put up a greenhouse, start selling herbs, and keep up her blueberry plants.
"The extra income actually has allowed me to invest, in many improvements and to expand the opportunities available for guests," Lyon told Fox News.
Airbnb said a typical farm stay host earned around $8,000 in 2025, while U.S. farm stay hosts brought in nearly $120 million combined.
The new Farm to Stay Grant Program from Airbnb and American Farmland Trust will open applications in November. The organizations will issue 25 to 30 grants of up to $10,000 each.
Where can I learn more?
These stories look at other ways farmers are finding support and new income beyond traditional production. They cover public funding, farmer-led education, cooperative growth, legal fights over USDA resources, and solar-based revenue options.
• In Pennsylvania, $1 billion in funding is helping agricultural businesses and dairy producers modernize.
• In Washington, senators pushed farmer-to-farmer education to strengthen support for small agricultural operations.
• Organic Valley made an ambitious move to help more than 100 small farms grow.
• Farmers and environmental groups teamed up to sue over cuts to key USDA climate resources.
• Across the U.S., agrivoltaics can help struggling farmers keep more land in the family.
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