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Wellness Travel
Farm Vacations
American Agritourism Grows in Post-Pandemic Times by April Tompson
L
ong a staple of European travel, agritourism is growing in popularity in the United States,
as concrete-weary urbanites seek out a taste of country living and a way to support small-scale farms. Te concept broadly covers any activity linking agriculture with tourism, and it takes as many forms as there are farms. Farm-stay options run the gamut from helping with farm chores like feeding chickens and collecting eggs to structured classes on weaving, soap making or beekeeping. “Living in towns and cities, most
Americans are very disconnected from nature and agriculture. Farm stays are helping to make an important urban-rural connection,” says Scottie
16 Central Florida
www.NACFL.com
Jones, founder of Farm Stay USA, an association connecting travelers with working farms and ranches that offer hands-on opportunities and overnight accommodations. Since 2007, Jones has operated her
own farm stay, the 70-acre Leaping Lamb Farm, in Alsea, Oregon. She has been surprised at many guests’ “agricultural illiteracy”, underscoring the importance of the educational experiences that farm stays like hers offer. “I used to send guests off to graze in the garden alone, but then realized many people don’t know what carrots look like in the field,” says Jones. “I would get questions like, ‘Don’t you need a brown cow to make chocolate milk?’”
More than one in three guests
to Leaping Lamb Farm return for subsequent stays, a very high retention rate for the lodging industry. “We get to watch families grow up as they return to the farm year aſter year. Tat has a real impact, as we need the next generation to get involved in farming and food systems,” Jones notes. Justin Bolois, of Los Angeles, got
introduced to agritourism in Tuscany, later seeking out the farm experience closer to home. “We had been living in New York City at the time and came to value the expansive countryside being in Italy,” he says. “Te family, which ran a vineyard, would cook incredible meals for us. Vacations are great when they mirror the experience of living in a place, and agritourism is one of the closest ways to access that.” Bolois and his wife later discovered
Straus Home Ranch, in Marshall, California, and fell in love with the place and its people so deeply they hosted their wedding there. Te ranch was founded by a pair of pioneers in organic farming and land conservation in Marin County, and it was later revitalized to
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