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STORY: Welcome to Pink River Ranch. :: Blanchardville, Wisconsin The small farm in Wisconsin is attracting people from nearby big cities… But not to work - to relax. The draw? This vintage Airstream trailer that ranch owner Brit Thompson has turned into an Airbnb. :: Brit Thompson, Pink River Ranch owner “We raise livestock and do farm dinners and are really focused on bringing people out and having them a connection to agriculture.” Thompson is just one of many farmers turning to agricultural tourism as demand for rural experiences grows and farm income declines. :: DIVERSIFYING REVENUE Their crops are used to make food, feed livestock and produce vegetable oils. But turning a profit is becoming ever more challenging in an increasingly unstable agricultural economy. Corn and soy prices sank to four-year lows last year. Steady revenue from her short-term rental has helped Thompson endure this volatile commodities market. “I don't want to be out there working my butt off for $5 an hour when I can make $100 an hour cleaning the Airstream for an hour.” Farmers have long offered pumpkin patches, hayrides and corn mazes to lure customers. But aided by platforms like Airbnb and camping websites like Harvest Hosts and The Dyrt, agritourism has boomed as urbanites look to spend time in the countryside. “Consumers are looking for more authentic experiences for the most part...” Ryan Pesch is an agricultural business extension educator at the University of Minnesota. :: Ryan Pesch, Agricultural business extension educator, University of Minnesota“It's one of those strange things about modern lifestyles. We are uber connected via our phones and devices. Yet at the same time, we can feel very lonely and feel very disconnected from the land, from where our food comes from... Gathering with half a dozen people on farm, you know, eating food that came from those fields... That can be a magical experience. And that's really what, like, a lot of agritourism producers are looking to conjure up for folks.” The trend has picked up since 2020 when people were initially drawn by social distancing. The number of U.S. farmstays on these platforms increased by 77% in the last five years, says data firm AirDNA.That’s roughly twice the increase in overall listings. Nationally, about 7% of farms offer tourism opportunities, according to research from the University of Vermont. And many have boosted their revenue by $25,000 to $100,000 a year. Some can make upwards of $1 million. :: LEAN TIMES The added income is a welcome boon. Low crop prices, high interest rates, and steep costs for seeds, fertilizer and labor are all adding pressure, farmers and industry experts say. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says farm income has dropped 23% from 2022. That’s one of the biggest declines in history. And the American Farm Bureau says the agricultural economy is in a recession. This year could also bring further financial pain if U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade wars with Canada, Mexico and China are prolonged. "It's a fantastic way to create stability...” Catherine Topel runs Smoky Mountain Mangalitsa, a hog farm in North Carolina that sells its pigs to restaurants.:: Catherine TopelIt started hosting campers as COVID struck and eateries closed. :: Catherine Topel, Smoky Mountain Mangalitsa owner“One minute, you know, you feel like you have too many and the next minute you don't have enough for your market. I mean, it really is a very bizarre and uncertain world with livestock anyway... But the camping has certainly contributed to the stability for them and for us and for keeping the farm a farm.” Not all farms, nor farmers, are suited to hosting paying guests overnight. And navigating costly government regulations can be a headache. But for those able to jump the hurdles, diversifying their income can help families maintain ownership of their farms. Some said they can pay off debt and provide jobs for younger generations – who often prefer building websites and managing rentals over working the land. Helping others connect with nature, while raising children in a rural setting, also provides motivation. “We still want to enjoy the lifestyle. We still want to do agriculture, but we're less willing to make sacrifices to do it than we used to be.”