PACIFIC, Mo.– As farmers across the country face rising costs, some are turning to tourism to bring in money beyond their traditional agricultural operations.At Lynette Ralph's horse ranch in Missouri, vacationers can spend the night in a small cabin, wake up to views of the horses and get a firsthand look at ranch life.Guests can explore the property, pet and feed the horses or pay extra for horsemanship and riding lessons."You have access to the farm life, the horses, the barns," Ralph said.THE $1,600 LETTUCE: CALIFORNIA GROWERS WARN OF ‘MASTER PLAN’ STRANGLING FAMILY FARMSA horse looks out from its stall at Lynette Ralph's ranch in Pacific, Missouri.
(Olivianna Calmes)For Ralph, welcoming guests is about more than offering a unique getaway.The income from offering short-term vacation rentals on site has allowed her to keep her ranch operating."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.Airbnb and American Farmland Trust are launching a new grant program to help farmers earn extra income through tourism, the organizations told Fox News exclusively.According to USDA data cited in Airbnb's report, households associated with intermediate farms, a category of smaller operations where farming is the principal operator's primary occupation, reported a median loss of approximately $2,800 from farming in 2024.The short-term rental cabin at Lynette Ralph’s horse ranch in Pacific, Missouri.
(Olivianna Calmes)AMERICAN FARMERS PINCHED BY HIGH DIESEL PRICES AHEAD OF SPRING PLANTING SEASONDavid Haight, vice president of programs at American Farmland Trust, a national nonprofit dedicated to protecting farmland and supporting farmers, said finding additional sources of income could help some farm families navigate financial challenges."Many families are looking for ways to diversify income, and so bringing people out to the farm or ranch for some is a way t...