New Resource for Navigating Farm Stay Listing Sites

University of Vermont Extension, in collaboration with Vermont Fresh Network, Dig In Vermont and Farm Stay USA, has developed a comparison table to help agritourism operators make informed decisions about listing and booking farm stays and on-farm experiences.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 12, 2022

Navigating farm stay listing sites with a little help from UVM Extension

Burlington--Agritourism is an important way for farms to diversify their revenue sources and establish new connections within their communities. However, developing overnight farm stays and on-farm experiences and connecting with target markets can be challenging for many agritourism operators.

University of Vermont Extension, in collaboration with Vermont Fresh Network, Dig In Vermont and Farm Stay USA, has developed a comparison table to help agritourism operators make informed decisions about listing and booking farm stays and on-farm experiences. Information can be found at https://go.uvm.edu/comparisontable.

Having an online presence makes it easier for these individuals to reach potential customers. Although popular farm stay listing websites can help establish a presence, each site has different characteristics and pros and cons that hosts need to consider.

This resource will help farm hosts navigate a variety of options to add to their online marketing strategy such as types of fee structures used by popular listing websites, the requirements for listings and insurance considerations. Whether hosting guests that arrive in a camper, providing a stay in an original farmhouse, offering a rustic camping experience or leading a guided hike, farm hosts can learn about the best options for listing their accommodations and experiences and setting up online reservation systems with the use of the comparison table.

A Virtual Agritourism Gatherings webinar on January 18 from 11 a.m. to noon will provide additional information. Featured presenters include experienced agritourism operators from Vermont, Oregon and Italy who will discuss options for listing and booking farm stays and experiences. The workshop is free but registration is required at http://go.uvm.edu/agtourism-gatherings.

If requiring a disability-related accommodation to participate, please contact Becky Bartlett at (802) 257-7967, ext. 301, or rebecca.bartlett@uvm.edu.