Fifteen years ago, Farm Stay USA launched with a big idea and a small website: to introduce Americans to the joy of staying overnight on a real working farm or ranch. But here’s the twist, when we showed up, we discovered something wonderful: many farm stays were already out there! They just weren’t called that yet. Some went by “farm vacations,” others by “working ranches” or “bed and breakfasts.”

Farm Stay USA gave these pioneers a home, a shared identity, and a place to be found by curious travelers. For others just getting started, we offered a framework, a sense of community, and a cheering section as they opened their gates to guests for the first time.

As part of our 15th anniversary celebration, we’re shining the spotlight on our 21 founding members. That’s a lot of inspiration to pack into one blog, so we’ve split their stories into four digestible parts.

We used a light-touch Q&A format to gather reflections, asking when and why they began hosting, what moments still stand out, what advice they’d give a new farmer-hoster, and how Farm Stay USA made a difference for them. In true farmer fashion, some followed instructions, some plowed their own path. And just like the farms themselves, no two answers are the same.

We’re starting this series with the mentors, those generous trailblazers who were welcoming guests long before “farm stay” was a buzzword. They laid the groundwork for everything that followed.

East Hill Farm in Troy NH started hosting guests in the mid 1940s. At the time it was a small dairy farm and the owner decided to add some lodging for extra income. He expanded the business over the years, adding animals and amenities until the farm became a year-round family resort. In the 1970s, the next generation took over the farm, adding educational aspects including raising rare breed animals, cow and goat milking for guests, horseback riding, and butter and cheese making workshops. Currently Jennifer Adams and her siblings, part of the 4th generation, run the farm. Generations run in guests as well with some families having come to the farm for over 50 years! As for favorite experience, Jen runs a Farm School program where the kids spend 3 days and 2 nights working with the animals and the farmers. She loves to watch them move through the steps from being tentative to confident and curious, knowing she is sending them home with a better understanding of what it takes to be a farmer. When it comes to Farmstay, the site gave the farm a place to list nationally and the opportunity within its community to be a mentor to others.

Liberty Hill Farm, run by Beth and Bob Kennett, is located in Rochester VT and has been a pioneer in the agritourism movement since opening its doors to guests in 1984. Their multi-decades-long commitment to sustainability was recognized in 2008 when the farm was designated as Vermont’s first certified Green Agritourism Enterprise. Guests from around the world have stayed at this 120-head dairy that is part of the Cabot Creamery Co-op. Beth cooks breakfast and dinner for guests, shared around the farm house table. At this point she counts repeat guests in generations and in friendships. With tours on top of stays, guests can watch the milking process and even try their hand at manual milking. Feeding the calves, playing in the hayloft, walking in the fields, and in fall visits for the leaf change are all part of the experience. Beth’s suggestions for farms considering agritourism: look at what you like to do and make sure hospitality can fit into your farming schedule. Break up the responsibilities so the load does not become too much and, if you are cooking, stick with your favorite recipes. For the Kennetts, Farm Stay USA was a place to be recognized as the quintessential New England farm and the barn was the masthead of the site for many years.

Grace Note Farm in Pascoag RI, also known as the Benjamin Smith homestead farm c. 1730, is nestled in the northwest corner of Rhode Island adjacent to the George Washington Management area. It is a horse farm and riders can enjoy over six hours of riding on wide, mostly sandy trails that connect to Connecticut and Massachusetts. The inn opened in 2001 after Virginia built stalls for guest horses. Two factors helped with this decision: Virginia’s son announced the farm should pay for itself and two guests from a horse club who just happened to pull into the driveway suggested she become a B&B. Since opening, Virginia has found that both grownups and kids love to wash the horses and, in terms of the children, they love the freedom to roam, to collect eggs with her in the morning, and to ride beside her in her 4×4. She would advise new farm stay operators to make sure they have a private space of their own to retreat to; that guests are strangers until  they have completed their first visit; and that the Internet is best for marketing. As far as Farmstay, she felt it gave her national exposure and credibility as a working farm with lodging, not just a vacation rental. Now in her 80s, Virginia is about to close the barn door on guests but the experience has been worth the effort for the people she has met and the lives she has touched.

Hull-O Farms in Durham NY has been in the Hull family since its 1779 post-Revolutionary War founding. The farm has been recognized and designated by New York State as a National Bicentennial Farm. Sherry and her husband, Frank, started hosting guests in June 1994. Back then they were milking 80 cows and struggling financially. They decided, encouraged by a friend, to offer a farm “vacation” option in a cottage that stood on the farm grounds. Another friend who worked for a cable station on Long Island ran a free ad for them about this new vacation opportunity. Within 30 minutes of the ad running, the phone started ringing. Sherry has never looked back. While Sherry handles the hospitality end, farmer Frank oversees guests interaction on the farm. Top of these is collecting eggs, hand-milking the cows, playing with the barn cats, and enjoying s’mores and music around the campfire. Their advice to new farm stay hosts: welcoming visitors can be a lot of work but also incredibly rewarding. You must genuinely love people and be okay with sharing your personal space, so be flexible and do your due diligence about all the ins and outs of a farm stay. As for a particularly memorable experience, three years after the farm stay opened, a very excited 10-year-old boy ran into Sherry’s kitchen and said with great enthusiasm “Ms Sherry, this may just be the best day of my life.” In the end, Farm Stay USA helped to raise awareness about the novelty of a farm vacation by adding more farms into the travel niche,  even acting as a resource for other options Sherry could point to when they were full.

Labour of Love Landscaping and Nurserv, owned by Kate  Glover started hosting guests in 1985. Her nursery in Glover VT is known as a “local destination”, offering more than the typical small nursery with the addition of display gardens, tours, lodging in a restored 1800’s Greek Revival home, and a gift and craft shop that includes 30 varieties of homemade jams and jellies (from local fruits) and handwoven apparel and home items. Almost on the Canadian border, the farm routinely hosts international visitors. Not your traditional ‘farm’, Kate, the owner, grower and designer, takes the idea of growing plants and puts them in a retail setting so they can go home with you, while offering ideas for your own landscaping. Landscaping and growing is all there in farming, just by a different name. When it comes to advice for new farms starting out, Kate focuses on making her place look like somewhere she would like to visit and of all her “chores” she enjoys answering questions from visitors. One of her favorite visits was from a 6-year-old who told his parents to let him stay at the nursery because he liked it better than home! Just as many come across the border as international travelers, so Farm Stay USA sends Kate visitors from far and wide to share her little piece of heaven.

These early hosts were the quiet pioneers, the ones offering fresh eggs with their morning coffee and handing over pitchforks to eager guests long before “farm stay” had a name. Their creativity, grit, and love of sharing farm life set the stage for everything that’s followed. Without them, there would be no Farm Stay USA. We’re endlessly grateful they opened their barn doors and hearts, giving this movement its roots.

We hope you’ll stick with us in the weeks ahead as we continue this celebratory journey.

Next up: a few of our amazing ranches who’ve been with us from the start, where the stars are big, the hats are wide, and the hospitality is just as heartfelt.

(Header photo courtesy of East Hill Farm NH)

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Today, farms with horses fall into a few categories. Some focus on breeding, creating champion bloodlines and training equestrian athletes. Others cater to horse-and-rider travelers, offering a unique twist on “bed and breakfast” for both two- and four-legged guests. Then there are farms where horseback riding is all about fun and relaxation, with trail rides and riding lessons designed for visitors to experience the land from the saddle. And let’s not forget the working ranches, where livestock and wide-open spaces mean horseback work is a way of life (here at Farmstay we identify ranches as farms by another name, determined by location and the lifestyle of the folks who run them).

To find farms that offer horseback riding, you can use the Farm Stay USA activity search tool: Horseback Riding, but let’s get you started here with a few farms that are ready to help you saddle up and hit the trail.

Fairwinds Farm, North East MD: Relax in country comfort in a restored Victorian home on this working horse farm in the heart of Maryland horse country. After a hearty farm breakfast, you may choose to take a riding lesson, carriage ride or trail ride. Bring your horses along! They offer overnight stall space or turnout (or both), and access to their rings, cross country course and trails.

Willet Ponds Horse Farm, Todd NC: For a true Appalachian farm experience you are welcome to join in on daily chores. Want to ride? While not a riding stable open to the public, the farm offers guests guided custom trail rides and/or riding lessons. For those who really want to get their hands on the herd, there are “horse spa” sessions. Spend an extra hour after barn chores and help groom the horses. You’ll learn about care and safety, different breed attributes, and fun facts about horses.

Grace Note Farm, Pascoug RI: Known as the Benjamin Smith homestead farm c. 1730, the farm is nestled in the northwest corner of Rhode Island. Horses are welcome, as are group rides with space for 50 trailers. Riders can enjoy over six hours of riding on wide, mostly sandy trails that connect to Connecticut and Massachusetts. Families can enjoy the farm animals, including a Shetland pony that kids under 80 lbs can sit and participate in chores if they wish.

Rockn Rowdy Ranch, Leona TX: Located equal distance between Dallas and Houston, come experience a Texas ranch the way it was intended – on horseback! Their cowboys will help you saddle your horse and you will be given as much instruction or assistance needed for you to have a comfortable, safe and memorable ride. They cater to all skill levels. Once mounted your adventure begins as you are guided throughout the beautiful, 100-acre ranch.

Wilson Ranches Retreat, Fossil OR: This ranch retreat offers guests a unique opportunity to go horseback riding in Oregon. Immerse yourself on this authentic working cattle ranch by joining the Wilson family on a scenic horseback ride, cattle drive, pasture move, riding for strays or checking fence lines as the family done has for seven generations.

Bar SZ Ranch, Paicines CA: Set on 2200 acres in its own valley and with a barn manager responsible for the care and training of guest trail riding horses, the ranch not only offers riding but also enjoys hosting clinics where guests, students, and 4-H members learn all about horses and other ranch animals.

Montana Bunkhouses Working Ranches, Livingston MT: Representing 20+ cattle ranches that host overnight guests, Karen will find you just the right ranch for your interest and skills level. Guests may participate in seasonal ranch operations while learning about conservation practices and sustainable ranching in the Rocky Mountains.  If you are looking for a hands-on working ranch that is old-time, real, and authentic, these ranches invite you into their lifestyle.

There were so many great choices, it was hard to select just a few. Take a look through the Horseback Riding filter on Farmstay and you are sure to find just the right farm or ranch riding experience you are looking for. We get it. We like to view landscapes from horseback too. Enjoy!

[Cover photo: courtesy of Willet Ponds Horse Farm in North Carolina]

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