Farmers across the United States are offering on-site short-term vacation rentals to generate additional income and help keep farms and ranches operating, Fox News reported.
Fox News described several examples, including Lynette Ralph’s horse ranch in Missouri, where visitors can stay in a small cabin, interact with horses and pay for riding lessons. Ralph told Fox News the income from short-term rentals has allowed her to avoid selling animals and property: “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,” she said.
In Georgia, host Gilda Lyon told Fox News that revenue from existing rentals helped her build additional cabins, a greenhouse and expand sales of herbs and blueberries.
Airbnb and American Farmland Trust are launching a “Farm to Stay” grant program to help farmers develop tourism income, the organizations told Fox News. The program is expected to award approximately 25 to 30 grants of up to $10,000 each, with applications opening in November 2026, the organizations said. David Haight, vice president of programs at American Farmland Trust, told Fox News the grants may not cover every cost but could assist with projects such as renovating barns, installing fencing or preparing overnight accommodations.
Fox News cited data Airbnb provided showing households associated with “intermediate farms” reported a median farming loss of about $2,800 in 2024, according to a USDA figure cited in Airbnb’s report. Airbnb told Fox News that online searches for farm stays rose 61% in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, that the typical farm-stay host earned roughly $8,000 in 2025 and that U.S. farm-stay hosts collectively earned nearly $120 million. Airbnb and Fox News noted those hosting earnings do not necessarily reflect profits after expenses.
Haight told Fox News that diversifying income through hosting can help some farm families navigate financial pressures and that visitor spending could benefit nearby rural businesses.
Ralph told Fox News the short-term rentals have allowed her to remain on and maintain the property while continuing to share her interest in horses: “The short-term rental has totally facilitated my being able to stay here and do the things that I love,” she said.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
