Farmstay

What Farmstay does

Farmstay, LLC (formerly Farm Stay USA) operates a curated two-sided online marketplace connecting travelers seeking authentic farm-based experiences with verified working farms and ranches across the United States, including Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. The platform organizes supply into three core categories: Lodgings (cabins, tiny homes, guesthouses, glamping structures, converted farm buildings, inns, campers/RVs), Experiences (farm tours, guided nature walks, cooking and craft workshops), and Events (weddings, corporate retreats, reunions, festivals). Supply is gated by self-reported Accreditation Standards covering authentic working-farm status, visitor-friendly environments, knowledge sharing, safety, and local sourcing, intended to differentiate the marketplace from generic OTAs where rural homes are often mislabeled as farm stays.

The underlying technology is a web-based marketplace with searchable directory functionality (filtering by location, accommodation type, activities, amenities, accessibility, and pricing), a farmer-facing dashboard for managing listings, billing, and offerings, and a content management system supporting the Dig Deeper Blog, Sleep in the Straw podcast (distributed on Spotify, Amazon Music, and iHeart Radio), and Field Guide Newsletter. Booking is facilitated either through links to third-party booking systems or direct coordination with farms. The company is privately held, founded in 2010 by Scottie Jones with initial USDA funding, and is headquartered at PO Box 240, Hector, New York while organized as an Oregon LLC.

Farmstay's business model combines a farm-side membership/subscription tier (paid plans unlock listing visibility, dashboard access, business services, and the Perks and Opportunities Program) with a B2B advertising/sponsorship stream for brands targeting farm-focused travelers. Distribution is primarily organic: content marketing via blog and podcast, an email newsletter, earned media in Forbes, Travel + Leisure, USA Today, the LA Times, and Motherly, plus community participation at agritourism events. Specific subscription pricing is not publicly disclosed. In 2024, Cate assumed day-to-day leadership after Scottie Jones transitioned to founder and trusted advisor, and the platform expanded beyond overnight stays to include experiences, farm-to-table dinners, workshops, classes, tours, and events.

Name

Farmstay

Legal name

Farmstay, LLC

Website

https://farmstayus.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Farmstay is a curated two-sided online marketplace connecting travelers with verified working farms and ranches across the United States for farm stays, hands-on experiences, and events, monetized via farm memberships and brand advertising.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agritourism Marketplace

NAICS

Support Activities for Animal Production (115210)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Farmstay Rooms (Working Farms/Ranches) (THAMABAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Farmstay B&Bs & Agritourism Inns (THAGAHAG), Farm-to-Table & Agritourism Dining Experiences (Farm Visits, Harvest Meals) (THAJAGAK)

Keywords

• Agritourism marketplace
• Farm stay bookings
• Farm accommodations
• Farm experience listings
• Rural hospitality platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Alsea

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Farm Membership/Subscription: Farm owners pay for membership plans to list their properties on the platform, access the farmer dashboard, business services, tools, and marketing opportunities. The site references paid plans and a farmer dashboard for managing listings.
2. Advertising and Sponsorship: The platform offers advertising and sponsorship opportunities to brands wanting to reach farm-focused travelers. They mention partnership overviews and customizable advertising approaches.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Farmstay operates a two-sided online marketplace connecting travelers seeking authentic farm experiences with verified working farms and ranches offering lodging, hands-on experiences, and events across the United States. Farm owners pay for membership subscriptions to list their properties on the platform and access a farmer dashboard, while travelers use self-service search and discovery to find lodgings, experiences, and events. The platform aggregates farm-based hospitality offerings through accreditation standards that verify member farms are actual working operations.

Product overview

Farmstay operates as a curated marketplace and discovery platform connecting travelers with authentic working farms and ranches offering farm hospitality experiences. The platform consists of three core product categories: Lodgings (accommodation options including cabins, guesthouses, glamping structures, converted farm buildings, inns, and campers/RVs), Experiences (hands-on farm activities such as tours, cooking classes, nature walks, and workshops), and Events (weddings, corporate retreats, reunions, and special farm events). Supporting products include a searchable directory with accreditation standards for member verification, the Sleep in the Straw Podcast, the Dig Deeper Blog, and the Field Guide Newsletter. The platform also offers business services including an advertising/partnership program and a perks program for paid members. Founded in 2010, Farmstay emphasizes authentic connection to agricultural life through farms that are working operations with owners/operators on-site.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sleep in the Straw Podcast: Podcast exploring stories about the business of operating a farm stay, featuring voices of family farmers and lodging industry experts.

Products and services

• Lodgings Farm stay accommodation options across farms and ranches nationwide, including Cabin/Tiny Home, Guest House, Glamping (yurt, tipi, platform tent), Converted Farm Building, Inn, and Camper/Trailer/RV listings. Targeted at travelers seeking overnight farm stays.
• Experiences Hands-on farm activities offered by member farms including Farm Tours, guided Nature Walks, Pizza Making, guided Fishing, Quilting Workshops/Demonstrations/Retreats, and Pasta Making classes. Targeted at travelers seeking authentic farm-based activities.
• Events Farm-based events hosted at member farms and ranches including Weddings/Elopements, Special Events, Corporate Retreats, Parties, Reunions, and Festivals. Targeted at travelers and groups seeking event venues on working farms.
• Sleep in the Straw Podcast A podcast exploring the business of operating a farm stay, featuring voices from family farmers, lodging industry experts, and policy advocates. Available on Spotify, Amazon Music, and iHeart Radio.
• Dig Deeper Blog Educational blog with articles about farm life, sustainable agriculture, authentic farm experiences, travel tips, farm activities, and agritourism topics. Targeted at travelers and farm hospitality operators.
• Field Guide Newsletter Email newsletter delivering travel and lifestyle tips, farm stories, and travel inspiration to subscribers interested in farm hospitality. Targeted at travelers and farm enthusiasts.
• Farm Stay Workbook Educational workbook that walks aspiring farm hosts through the process of welcoming guests onto their farms step-by-step. Targeted at farmers and ranchers exploring agritourism.
• Advertising and Sponsorship Opportunities Partnership opportunities for brands to create authentic, farm-first content and collaborations within the Farmstay community. Targeted at brands wanting to reach farm-focused travelers.

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Nomadic TipisminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNomadic Tipis provides authentic tipis for farm stay properties. They are featured in the Farmstay affiliates/partner section, offering their products to member farms looking for unique accommodations.
• U-Latch Universal Gate LatchminorGTM or Marketing PartnerU-Latch provides easy-to-install gate latches for tubular livestock gates. Featured as a partner providing practical solutions for farm stay properties.
• Kelly Kapple Insurance - Country FinancialminorGTM or Marketing PartnerKelly Kapple Insurance specializes in agritourism coverage for farms. Featured as a partner providing insurance services to Farmstay member farms.
• Country Grit (Leaping Lamb Farm)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerA farm memoir book 'Country Grit, A Farmoir of Finding Purpose and Love' by Leaping Lamb Farm, featuring Scottie Jones who founded Farmstay. Featured as partner content in the affiliate section.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Booking.com: Global online travel agency with extensive rural, country-side, and farm-property inventory. Indirect competition at the demand-aggregation layer; its generic listing model cannot easily replicate Farmstay's authenticity certification.
• Airbnb: Dominant short-term rental platform with an expanding rural and unique-stays category that includes farm properties. Represents the largest competitive threat given its audience scale, but its generic listing model lacks Farmstay's verified working-farm accreditation and category-specific content.
• Vrbo: Major vacation rental platform owned by Expedia Group with rural and cabin inventory overlapping Farmstay's lodging category. Indirect competitor — its scale and booking infrastructure make it a default for travelers unaware of farm-specific marketplaces.

Direct peers

• Hipcamp: US-based two-sided marketplace connecting travelers with private outdoor stays including farms, ranches, and vineyards. Closest direct competitor to Farmstay in model, geography, and target audience, though Hipcamp's inventory skews toward general outdoor/camping rather than verified working farms.
• Tentrr: Marketplace for private campsite and glamping stays on landowner properties, predominantly rural. Comparable curated-stay model and supply-side onboarding, though Tentrr focuses more on glamping infrastructure than working-farm authenticity.
• Glamping Hub: Global marketplace specializing in glamping and unique outdoor accommodations including farm properties. Comparable in marketplace structure and rural-lodging category overlap, though with broader (global) geographic reach and less emphasis on working-farm verification.
• Harvest Hosts: Membership-based platform offering RVers overnight stays at farms, wineries, breweries, and other rural hosts across the US. Directly comparable two-sided model focused on authentic rural experiences with a verified-host emphasis similar to Farmstay's accreditation approach.

Others

• Hipcamp (Outdoorsy): Outdoorsy acquired Hipcamp in 2024, creating a broader outdoor-stay marketplace that now combines RV rentals with Hipcamp's land-based stays. Represents an emerging competitive threat as the combined entity moves to bundle outdoor accommodations across categories where Farmstay operates.

Regional players

• Canopy & Stars: UK-based curated marketplace for unique places to stay including farm stays, treehouses, and glamping. Highly comparable curated-authenticity positioning and content-led model, but geographically restricted to the UK and does not directly compete with Farmstay in the US.
• Farm Stay UK: Long-established UK farm-stay association and booking platform connecting travelers with working farms. Closest international analog to Farmstay's verified working-farm model and accreditation framework, but operates exclusively in the UK market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/farmstayus
• Facebookfacebook.com/FarmStayUSA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/farm-stay-u.s.
• Instagraminstagram.com/farmstayus

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Farmstay