Welcome to the final chapter in our four-part celebration of Farm Stay USA’s 15th anniversary! We’ve introduced you to the visionaries, the adventurers, and the enthusiasts—now it’s time to shine a light on the rest of us: the farms that didn’t quite fit neatly into any one category but were equally instrumental in building this movement.

These farms, including my own—Leaping Lamb Farm—started in the early 2000s. We weren’t just testing the waters, nor were we seasoned pros. We were somewhere in the middle, navigating the challenges of keeping our farms afloat while exploring new ways to share what we loved with others.

For us, farm stays weren’t just a fun idea—they were a lifeline. In my case, the concept quite literally saved our farm. Opening our doors to guests gave us the financial and emotional support we needed to keep going. And as I looked around the country, I realized we weren’t alone. There were incredible farms and ranches doing the same thing—but scattered, hard to find, and operating without a shared platform.

So, with the help of a USDA grant and a whole lot of determination, we launched Farm Stay USA: a centralized site where curious travelers could discover authentic rural experiences, and where farmers could find community, visibility, and support. We knew it worked in places like Italy and the U.K.—why not here? Why not invite people out to the countryside, just a short drive from their homes, to reconnect with food, nature, and the people who make both possible?

It turns out, we were onto something.

Crow Farm Vineyard and Winery in Kennedyville MD, taken on by Judy and Roy Crow in 2008, is a third generation heritage farm. They transformed the family farm from dairy, wheat, corn and soy to grass-fed Angus beef and planted a vineyard. At this time they also opened their B&B. Their motto: “stay original” drives a growing business of selling their natural grass-fed beef to local citizens and restaurants in the area. Guests enjoy their quality estate wines and farm-to-table events in the Haybarn.  As Judy says, “Having the public be a part of your farm family takes commitment and planning.” She thinks of safety first. Her husband enjoys taking guests to feed and rotate the cattle. Judy enjoys taking them to the chicken yard to collect eggs. The winemaker enjoys speaking about his wine making techniques. Even their volunteer gardener who manages the vegetable gardens gets into it and gives garden tours, enlisting guest help in return for veggies they can take home with them. One funny story had to do with the guest who sent a message saying how much they had enjoyed their stay but on return home had cooked some of the corn they had taken from the field that was just terrible. Judy had to explain that the corn they had picked was field corn for the cattle and not human consumption! In the end, the reward for hosting guests doesn’t come from other family members or staff but rather from the guests themselves. Having outsiders see the efforts and dedication to farming that is rewarded with money and kind words is the greatest compliment, improving morale and keeping these farmers smiling.

Fairwind Farms in North East MD actually started to host guests in 1999. JoAnn and Ted Dawson had dreamed of having a B&B where they could share a farm experience. They finally found their farm and made their dream come true, not only inviting guests to stay over, but their horses as well! They advise new farm stay owners to be open and welcoming to visitors, showing them around and patiently answering questions. They feel it important to realize many may never have seen or been near any kind of farm animals, even dogs, so they try to help them ease into the experience. Collecting eggs from the chicken house is always fun for the questions…and for the answers. Asking how many eggs a chicken lays in a day has had some funny answers and one adult even asked once what the farm does with the eggs after collecting them. The thought was that the eggs had to go to the store first before they could be eaten. When asked for a favorite story, JoAnn referred to her book “Bed, Breakfast, and Beyond: Twenty Years of Kooky Guests, Gentle Ghosts, and Horses in Between” for some of the more interesting experiences. As for why they listed on the Farm Stay USA site, JoAnne feels is has always been a well-respected platform that pairs guests with just the right farm experience they are searching for, making life easy for the farmer as well.

Leaping Lamb Farm is a small family sheep farm in the Coast Range of Oregon. Scottie and Greg Jones moved to the farm in 2003 as new farmers and by 2008 had launched their farm stay when it became evident that running a small-scale lambing operation was not going to pay to fix the tractor. Luck was on their side for getting the word out: Sunset Magazine mentioned them, the Today Show included the farm in a summer travel piece, and the Oregonian ran a front page story – all within the first year. That and word-of-mouth have kept them busy ever since. Scottie launched Farm Stay USA in 2010 because she recognized a need for farms doing what she was doing to show up on one site…and she was tired of searching Google to help guests find another farm stay when she was booked! Guests at Leaping Lamb Farm are invited to help with chores and love this part, whether it is feeding hay to the sheep, helping with lambing, or “scooping poop”. Of course, for that last chore the option is always given to cuddle goats instead. It’s the hands-on activities that make people keep coming back. As for the reward, when kids say the experience is better than Disneyland and the parents comment on the “best vacation ever” and re-book for the next year, it’s enough to know an impact has been made…and for the better. Also that the tractor can be fixed because of the added income. While Farm Stay USA has taken a moment to find its place in the travel world because both guests and farms have had to be educated about farm stays: what they were, why they were a unique experience, their importance. 15 years (and Covid) later, it all makes sense. Her memoir, Country Grit: A Farmoir of Finding Love and Purpose, was published in 2017.

Sweet Retreat Guesthouse and Sugarworks in Northfield, Vermont is owned by Hannah and Ray Morvan. Having bought the property in 1992, the Morvans built a guest house for friends to visit during sugaring season in spring and leaf season in fall. In 2001 they decided to turn the guest house into a farm stay business. The primary product for the farm is maple syrup produced in their Sugarworks building and sold both wholesale and retail in finely etched bottles. But, the farm is also home to Heritage Ox Farm where show oxen are raised and trained to take to fairs, parades and demonstrations. The experience on the farm is observational for guests rather than hands-on as both areas of production (Sugarworks and Ox Farm) can be dangerous. Instead, guests can enjoy hiking and cross country skiing on the trails throughout the 400 acre farm. Hannah’s advice to those considering hosting guests on farm property is to think about what guests will be allowed to do. One should always be conscious of the liability risks and post signage addressing the risks of visiting a farm. Her most memorable story has to do with the ongoing education of guests about the oxen. Brought to the farm as steers, these animals are not oxen until they are trained. Somewhere in between, they are called Handy Steers. It takes four years for a steer to become a fully-trained oxen. The Morvans were introduced to a European head yoke style which lashes the yoke to the bony part of the head at the base of the horns while up in Nova Scotia scouting for steers. The oxen wear decorative leather face pads and collars with brass bells hanging from the collars.  Interestingly, a number of guests who have found Sweet Retreat through their Farm Stay USA profile are farmers from all over (New Zealand being the furthest away) trying to learn either about sugaring or oxen (or both).

Willet Ponds Horse Farm in Todd North Carolina is a horse farm owned by Walton Conway. Soon after he and his wife, Betty, set up their horse farm in 2005, their closest neighbor put his house up for sale. It was the original old farmhouse for the land they were living on. They decided to offer the Old Farmhouse as a guest house to share their dream. In subsequent years they were able to buy out two more neighbors, piecing the old farm back together, and adding more houses for guests. They sell eggs, poultry, firewood, trout, apples and more, but the real treasure there is intangible.  Set in the back of a secluded valley with 100+ acres of mountain views, streams, trails, and meadows, Willet Ponds Farm offers the perfect Appalachian mountain farm stay.  For farms considering doing what Walton does, he advises “Do it! Our youth have a great hunger and need for wholesome, hands-on experiences. Our most important crop is the next generation!’  The more we share, the more comes back to us.” When asked for a favorite farm chore shared with guests, it’s an enthusiastic “mucking the barn!” Kids learn to drive a wheelbarrow, use a rake and shovel. Parents discover that their kids can work! And they all go home with a new idea about what a vacation can be. Walton says he still smiles thinking about the lady who exclaimed, “If you had told me yesterday that I’d be shoveling horse manure on my vacation!!!” A particular family has returned to the farm many times over the years. Each time Walton finds unique experiences for them to enjoy: pressing apple cider, building a holzhausen, even slaughtering a deer. Most recently they brought chainsaws with them and spent their vacation helping to clear trees blown down by hurricane Helene. The farmer was humbled. For Willet Ponds, Farm Stay USA has been instrumental in connecting them with families far and wide who seek out farm experiences when they travel. The guests sent from the site are always enthusiastic and eager to celebrate their mission–connecting people to the land and life in the country.

Conclusion

Looking back on the last 15 years, we’re filled with gratitude and awe—for the farms that took a chance, for the guests who showed up with curiosity and open hearts, and for the growing community that continues to believe in the power of agritourism. From the trailblazers to the new farmers and ranchers just starting out, each story shapes the vibrant patchwork that is Farm Stay USA.

This may be the final part of our anniversary series, but it’s not the end of the journey. We’re more inspired than ever to keep growing, connecting, and sharing the magic of life on a working farm or ranch.

Here’s to the next 15 years—and to all of you who make this movement matter. Thank you for being part of our story.

(Header photo courtesy of Willet Ponds Farm)

The post 15 Years of Farm Stay USA: Celebrating Our Roots and Honoring the Founders Who Helped Cultivate a Movement (4) appeared first on Farmstay.

Welcome to Part 3 of our special anniversary series celebrating the passionate pioneers behind Farm Stay USA! As we mark 15 years of connecting travelers with authentic, working farms and ranches across the country, we’re turning the spotlight on the spirited founding members who believed in the dream from day one and helped turn it into a thriving national network.

When Farm Stay USA first launched in 2010, farm stays were virtually unheard of in the U.S., a far cry from their popularity in Europe. Many Americans didn’t realize it was even possible to spend the night on a farm; let alone why they might want to. But a small group of forward-thinking farmers and ranchers saw the potential in opening their gates and sharing their lives with curious, countryside-seeking travelers.

From the very beginning, we walked alongside these early adopters, offering support, tools, and a community that celebrated the value of rural hospitality. Together, we nurtured a vision of agritourism rooted in connection, education, and genuine experience.

Fifteen years later, these farms have flourished. They’ve grown into confident, innovative businesses, continually adapting like all successful small farms do. Their voices are stronger, their offerings richer, and their place in the agricultural landscape well-earned.

We are incredibly proud to have been part of their journey and even more excited for what’s to come next.

B and B Orchards, located outside of Salem, Oregon was inherited by the next generation in 2011. The hazelnut orchard had been leased out and the family was not in a position to move to the farmhouse or take over operations right away. 3rd generation, Bari, and her 4th generation son, Anthony, became aware of Farm Stay USA’s website that would allow them to share the farm with others. With a few upgrades and just the right number of modern touches, the farmhouse retained all the warmth and coziness of grandma’s house.  These days, taking visitors around the farm and through the hazelnut orchard is a favorite: explaining how hazelnuts flower, set nut clusters, and are harvested. Equally popular, especially with kids, is visiting the farm animals: feeding the chickens, goats, cows and barn cats, and collecting fresh eggs. One family even spent an afternoon helping to plant flowers in the garden beds, their children wide-eyed and excited to dig in the soil, choose each plant’s spot and asking questions. As for advice to others, Anthony and his mother began modestly and learned as they went along. They searched out best practices, fostered strong relations with their neighbors stayed informed about local zoning regulations and even found grants and cost-share opportunities to offset some of their setup expenses.

Dogwood Hills is owned by Ruth and Thomas Pepler. The farm is located in Harriet, Arkansas and now offers a hands-on experience starting with morning chores, milking, harvesting fodder, gathering eggs, feeding the animals, and checking in on the babies as they arrive. It didn’t start this way. The first iteration before knowing about farm stays started with hosting pastors and their families in 2009. Their guests would walk down during chores and ask to help. It was the beginning of an idea. Ruth found Farm Stay USA and joined. She asked other farms about their setups and began from there with the assistance of her then teenage daughter. Her advice: start simply and as you get that operation under your belt, you can add another. Do things well and think through the business plan.  Her farm has grown with cooking classes, a cooking show, a barbecue contest and more. Her favorite chore with guests is milking the cows, starting with the hydroponic barley fodder they hand feed, then on to the milk stand and the entire process of brushing down the cow, cleaning and milking. Afterwards everyone heads upstairs for a full farm breakfast made with the farm fresh milk. As for favorite guest interaction, Ruth tells of the guest that was very animal shy, scared to death of everything from the moths to the dogs and when she finally put a squirt of milk in the can, she just screamed and then squealed with delight. For Ruth and her daughter, Farm Stay USA proved more than a platform to advertise their property. It opened up international travel for them through USAid to help other farm communities set up agritourism operations and it gave the farm its own community in which to engage and share and learn best practices.

Serenity Sheep Farm Stay brilliantly converted two shepherd’s wagons to welcome guests on her farm, located halfway between Yellowstone National Park and Glacier National Park in Belgrade, Montana. LaVonne opened in 2009 after discovering (from us) that there was a thing called a “farm stay” and it could be something she added to her farm to generate additional income. Originally one of her favorite chores with guests was to show them how to milk her goats. These days the goats are gone and instead she runs a wool mill where guests can learn the process of taking a sheep fleece and turning it into roving. LaVonne’s advice to farms thinking of starting up with a farm stay – make friends with your local county health and planning departments in order to understand what permits you might need and what you are actually allowed and not allowed to do on your property. Her other bit of advice when it comes to hosting guests – you never know who they might be. She admits she is a “hugger” and she includes this in her welcome note just in case this is something that might make a guest uncomfortable. One guest asked if she really did hug her guests because he had read all her material. When she queried him as to why he was checking, he responded “I like to know what I am headed into.” It turns out he was an FBI Investigative agent! Farm Stay USA gave LaVonne a basis for her operation that has now welcomed guests from 29 countries and all over the U.S. As one of her friends said, “Leave it to LaVonne to bring the world to her.”

Stillwaters Farm is a family owned and operated 153+ acre farm and vineyard in Henderson, Tennessee with a menagerie of animals (including a peacock!) and gardens. Valeria began hosting guests in 2007. At first it was just a way to accommodate friends and family who wanted to visit the Pitonis since they had uprooted their lives in a move from Florida to Tennessee. This quickly turned into a career decision with Valeria focused on educating guests about the important role agriculture plays in everyone’s lives. With the opening of her farm to guests, there were lessons learned. Be yourself in your presentation as all farm hosts are as varied as what they grow. Use direct booking to save your guests the additional fees – this also is more efficient (for everyone) and makes interactions more personal without a middleman. Her favorite experiences with guests these days revolve around the grape harvest from the vineyard recently installed in 2023. They are able to truly engage their senses in the feel, the smell and of course the taste of a ripe wine grape. As for memorable experiences, Valeria tells of a young man who brought his mom to the farm specifically to learn how to build a compost bin. They spend a Saturday together building a small one where the boy learned how to use power tools, think through the process and enjoy a job well done. Only a year later, he passed away, but his mom still visits from time to time because this was one of his favorite places in the world, a bond they will have for life. Farm Stay USA, for Stillwaters Farm, gave them the credibility they were looking for as part of a network of farmers who work hard, share their knowledge and believe in their collective future.

Vermont Grand View Farm is located in Washington, Vermont just south of Montpellier and closer to the Canadian border than to New York City. The farm is run by Kim Goodling and her family. They first started hosting guests in about 2005 after purchasing their farm and realizing it was the perfect setup for what they were then calling a “bed and breakfast”. The farm is recognized as having Vermont’s first flock of Gotland sheep, an endangered wool breed from Denmark that is slowly being revived in the U.S.  Not just about the sheep, Kim has connected her guests with Vermont’s rich agricultural life, teaching about maple sugaring, shepherding, fiber arts, and sustainable farming. They can help with chores or just settle back to snuggle with the sheep. Farm Stay USA has helped Kim spread the word about her farm and what she offers. Guests have arrived to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries and weddings. They have come to grieve the loss of loved ones and to get lost on the dirt county roads. They’ve come to get engaged and then write wedding vows. They’ve been opera composers, internationally know singing groups, Pixar graphic artists, German knitting experts, journalists, photographers, people from Siberia, Australia, Italy, India, Canada, Japan, Germany and France. The most memorable was the very first family who had a little girl. She went to help collect eggs. When she felt how warm the freshly laid egg felt, she went running to her grandmother sitting on the porch and held it out to her saying “Look, the hen laid an egg, and she even cooked it!” Teaching moments come in all shapes and forms and for all age levels and farmers like a good laugh now and then to see the farm as an outsider.

As we celebrate the enthusiasm and evolution of our founding members, we’re reminded that the farm stay movement in the U.S. has always been fueled by heart, hustle, and a deep love for the land. These early partners dared to try something new and helped shape a community that continues to grow.

But the story doesn’t end here.

In the coming weeks, we’ll share Part 4 – The Rest of Us, featuring a final group of farms that also launched in the early 2000s. those who, like Leaping Lamb Farm (my own!), were neither brand new nor deeply seasoned when they joined the Farm Stay USA family. The last part in this series offers a personal glimpse into how this movement not only supported other farms, but also helped save my own and how a vision for a nationwide farm stay platform took root. Stay tuned!

If you haven’t read Part 1 – The Trailblazers or Part 2 – The Ranchers be sure to check them out!

(Header photo courtesy of Dogwood Hills)

The post 15 Years of Farm Stay USA: Celebrating Our Roots and Honoring the Founders Who Helped Cultivate a Movement (3) appeared first on Farmstay.