SALT LAKE CITY — It's been a rough year for farmers in Utah.
“We've all seen the pressures of rising fuel prices, and just every single thing costs a little bit more," said Caroline Scheidell with the Utah Department of Agriculture. "Add in that, an unprecedented drought, wildfire issues, recent hailstorms."
With many farmers losing their crops to these conditions, Scheidell said it takes a huge toll financially.
“It really takes everything going right to stay profitable. We're noticing a lot of farmers really struggling this year, and it's something we're really concerned about," she said.
However, one solution could help farmers get more money into their pockets: agritourism.
“Anything that could travel visitors to a farm.... this is the season for corn mazes and pumpkin patches, Scheidell said.
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But if certain crops were lost, companies like Airbnb are encouraging farmers to use the property itself as a way to make money. In collaboration with American Farmland Trust, Airbnb is funding a new "Farm to Stay" grant program where for-profit farms can apply and get up to $10,000 if they qualify.
“We can look specifically at Utah, where in 2025 the typical farm stay host earned approximately $8,900, and so that's a really great opportunity for again folks to have that additional cushion where they can then use that extra income in other ways that make sense for them," said Ashley Brucker with American Farmland Trust.
“I think farm stays are one of the most interesting things that producers could do to draw people onto their farms," Scheidell said, "I think it's such a great way to support visitors, both in-state and to draw out-of-state and international guests.”
While some farms are no stranger to Airbnb, the hope is that the grant program gets farmers back on their feet financially.
“I don't know of a single farmer out there who isn't so proud to share the work that they do," Brucker said, "this really provides this great opportunity for our farmers and ranchers to share their passion, their livelihood, their stewardship with others.”
Other qualifications for the grant include farms that have been in operation for at least a year, they must be a production farm and show at least $1,000 in profit over the past year.
UDAF and the Utah Office of Tourism are eager to continue to support agritourism development. A virtual meeting to gain input from anyone involved in agriculture will be held Sept. 24 at 10 a.m. to help guide future priorities.