US farmers turn to agritourism as farm income falls 23%

The brief

Context

American family farms are in a prolonged income squeeze, and a growing number of farmers are renting out cabins, trailers and campsites or running corn mazes and pumpkin patches to stay afloat. USDA data put agritourism at a $4.5 billion industry, while farm income has fallen 23% from 2022 — one of the steepest declines on record, with the American Farm Bureau describing the agricultural economy as being in recession. The story follows Brit Thompson, 33, of Pink River Ranch in Blanchardville, Wisconsin, whose converted vintage Airstream trailer listed on Airbnb now earns more than her beef and lamb sales.

Key facts

• Brit Thompson, 33, runs Pink River Ranch in Blanchardville, Wisconsin, and converted a vintage Airstream trailer into an Airbnb whose income surpasses her livestock earnings.
• Thompson told MarketScreener she can make $100 cleaning the Airstream for an hour instead of working "for $5 an hour" farming.
• Agritourism is a $4.5 billion industry, according to US Department of Agriculture (USDA) data.
• US farm income has dropped 23% from 2022, per USDA — one of the steepest declines in history; the American Farm Bureau says the farm economy is in recession.
• Commodity prices for corn and soy hit four-year lows last year, while input costs for seeds, fertiliser and labour remain high, interest rates have climbed and potential tariffs loom.
• Farmstay listings on short-term rental platforms jumped 77% over five years, roughly double the growth rate of overall listings.
• Airbnb, HipCamp, Harvest Hosts and The Dyrt all report substantial increases in farmstay inventory.
• Thompson's ranch raises Highland cattle and Icelandic sheep; most bookings come from urban professionals, including from the Chicago area.

Timeline

1. About six years agoAn Airstream trailer on a Wisconsin pasture would not have sounded like a financial lifeline; Thompson later converted hers into an Airbnb.
2. 2022Baseline year from which USDA records a 23% fall in US farm income.
3. During the COVID-19 pandemicAgritourism flourished as city residents sought socially distanced rural holiday options.
4. Last yearCorn and soy commodity prices hit four-year lows even as input costs stayed high.
5. Over the past five yearsFarmstay listings on short-term rental platforms rose 77%, about twice the growth of overall listings.

Who has a stake

• US family farmers (e.g., Brit Thompson, Catherine Topel, Kaylee Heap) — Diversified tourism income lets them hold on to land and survive negative-margin years instead of selling out.
• Row-crop farmers — Four-year-low corn and soy prices, high input costs, rising interest rates and looming tariffs have worsened their economics.
• USDA — Provides the data on the $4.5 billion agritourism industry and the 23% fall in farm income since 2022.
• American Farm Bureau — Confirms the agricultural economy is in recession, framing the policy debate.
• Short-term rental platforms (Airbnb, HipCamp, Harvest Hosts, The Dyrt) — Gain inventory and bookings from rising farmstay supply and urban demand for rural experiences.
• Urban tourists from cities like Chicago — Seek weekend escapes with trout streams, hiking trails and unpolluted night skies.
• Extension services (Ryan Pesch, University of Minnesota) — Advising a younger generation that sees entrepreneurship rather than only bad prices on the farm.

Why it matters

A 23% drop in farm income and record-low crop prices show how vulnerable commodity agriculture has become to input costs, interest rates and trade uncertainty, pushing farmers into non-farm income to keep their land. The shift to a $4.5 billion agritourism sector signals a structural diversification of rural livelihoods, not merely a pandemic-era fad. For India, where small and marginal farmers face similar price and cost pressures, the American experience offers a live test of whether rural tourism can supplement farm incomes.