Airbnb and AFT Offer U.S. Farmers Up to $10,000 to Build Agritourism Income
Updated: 7 days ago
Airbnb and American Farmland Trust have launched a nationwide grant program offering U.S. farmers and ranchers up to $10,000 to create or expand farm stays and visitor experiences. Applications for the Farm to Stay Grant Program are scheduled to open in November 2026.
The program arrives as many smaller farm businesses look for income that is less exposed to crop prices, livestock markets and weather. American Farmland Trust said grants may support work needed to prepare properties for overnight guests or to launch experiences such as apple picking, wine tasting, farm dinners and agricultural workshops.
The partners also plan two free online workshops for prospective hosts. Sessions are scheduled for October 14 and November 13, with guidance on creating a listing, welcoming guests and developing a viable farm tourism offer.
A growing income stream for farms
The economic case is based partly on Airbnb platform data. According to the partnership announcement, the typical U.S. farm stay host earned about $8,000 in 2025, while farm stay hosts collectively earned approximately $120 million. Total host earnings in the category have grown by nearly 400 percent since 2018.
The same analysis says rural areas that added farm stays recorded about 15 percent faster growth in overall Airbnb earnings than comparable nearby areas that did not. Airbnb also estimates that activity connected with rural stays generated nearly $125 million in tax revenue and close to $500 million in gross domestic product during 2025.
Those figures come from Airbnb data and an economic analysis commissioned around activity on its own platform. They are useful indicators of scale, but operators should read them as company supplied estimates rather than as a guarantee of what an individual farm can earn.
The income gap the program is trying to address is real. The announcement cites U.S. Department of Agriculture research showing that households associated with intermediate and residence farms reported negative median farm income in 2024. Agritourism cannot correct weak farm economics by itself, but it can create a second revenue stream tied to land, food, education and hospitality.
What the grants could change
A grant of up to $10,000 is modest compared with the cost of a major lodging conversion, but it can be meaningful for smaller projects. The money could help with guest room preparation, sanitation, access, basic visitor facilities, safety improvements or the setup of a structured farm experience.
The strongest opportunities are likely to be farms with a clear visitor proposition and a location within reach of a population center or established travel route. Productive farms can offer something conventional lodging cannot: a direct connection with food production, animals, landscapes and rural skills.
Operators will still need to assess local zoning, insurance, fire and visitor safety requirements, tax obligations and any food service rules that apply. Hosting also creates labor and privacy demands. A farm stay that works commercially needs to fit the farm calendar rather than compete with essential production work.
Applications open in November
The program is designed to support farmers across the United States. American Farmland Trust says application details will be published through its dedicated Farm to Stay page when the window opens.
For farmers considering the program, the period before November is a useful planning window. The most credible applications should be able to explain what visitors will experience, what the grant will pay for, how the project fits the working farm and how hosting could produce durable income after the grant is spent.
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