Do you have extra space on your homestead? Why not put it to good use and supplement your income by starting a RV farm stay?
Hosting RVs on your homestead can be a great way to supplement your income, get a few more farm hands, meet new people, and teach others about sustainable living.
There are two types of farm stays:
- a farm work exchange and
- a farm stay vacation
Typically, people can exchange parking their RV on your property for helping out on your farm, or people can rent a space for a farm-style vacation. Both options can help you accomplish more, whether it be expanding your farm, buying more livestock or building new fences.
Farm work exchange
(aka voluntourism)
According to Readsteaders.com, “A farm work exchange is basically a short-term homestead apprenticeship. It is an agreement between a homesteader and an individual (and possibly their family) to exchange labor for lodging. They are often used by people who want to learn about homesteading or live a simpler lifestyle for a short period of time. They can also be a great way for RVers to work for free or low-cost lodging.”
Some of the great benefits of this is that you don't have to pay for the help, and you get to share your knowledge, all while getting help on your farm. This can be especially helpful when finishing a big project like putting up fences, clearing land, planting a food forest.
On a busy homestead, it is always nice to have a work buddy. You'd be surprised how much an extra pair of hands can help you move your farm to the next stage. Plus, you might find the perfect people to “farm sit” when YOU need a vacation.
Good examples are the Wwoof program, FarmstaysUs, and Workaway.
Farm Stay Vacations
(aka agro-tourism)
If you are looking for ways to increase your income on the homestead, then farm stay vacations may be the answer. It can be a really great way to create a new revenue for your property.
There are many benefits to “agro-tourism”, for one, people are typically willing to pay more for an authentic farm experience. Your visitors will actually pay more to be able to help you with some of your farm chores!
This is also a good way to get more foot traffic at your farm and sell some of your home-grown products. For example, Harvest Hosts actually encourages their members to spend at $20 at each farm, ranch, or vineyard they visit.
Good examples are Hip camp, Airbnb, Harvest Hosts, and Boon Dockers Welcome.
It is a great way to make a living while being able to live in a rural area, and there are plenty of other benefits to starting a RV farm stay business in addition to making money.
- Working from home can give you extra time to focus on your homestead.
- You can build new skills by running a small business.
- You will also meet new people and get help on your homestead.
If you've been considering renting out space on your property for RVs, now is the time to act! Hosting RVs can provide extra income, and there's never been a better time to start.
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