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The farm or ranch diversifies its product offering, thus reducing risk and bringing in additional revenue; the traveler has a unique lodging experience. This guide provides advice and resources for farmers and ranchers considering offering on-farm lodging.  \nScottie Jones, founder and executive director of the US Farm Stay Association and owner of Leaping Lamb Farm Stay, created much of the content in this guide. USFSA is a national trade association of farm stay operators. Learn more at [https://farmstayus.com/](https://farmstayus.com/)  \nA California farm stay is a hosted accommodation on a working farm or ranch with guests paying for the privilege of staying overnight. Guests are often invited to help with the more benign farm chores if they wish (collecting eggs, feeding livestock), and may be offered a tour of the farm or ranch or perhaps a chance to pick fruit or vegetables, observe agricultural activities or participate in a class or workshop or other activity. Farm stay guests are not workers on the farm and are not expected to work for their stay. The farm stay is about the experience, be it relaxation, the ‘unplugged’ nature of the setting, the farm fresh food, or a little education about farming and ranching.  \nCalifornia farmers and ranchers offer a variety of lodging options on their land, including rooms in the family farmhouse, separate guest houses, cabins, yurts, glamping tents, tiny houses, trailers, RVs or rustic campsites. County planning and environmental health departments regulate on-farm lodging and food service to overnight guests. Although California passed a statewide Agricultural Home Stay bill in 1999, each county must still create and enforce its own rules regarding allowances and permitting for farm stays, short-term rentals, camping, and other on-farm lodging for guests. This guide will discuss permitting for California farm stays on page 3, but first you may want to assess whether the hospitality business is right for you and your farm or ranch.  \nAssessing yourself/your farm for on-farm lodging  \nB  \nefore you get into the business of inviting guests to stay with you on your farm or ranch, you might want to review the follow-  \ning list of questions:  \n• How comfortable are you talking with people you don’t know? Can you share your experience of what it’s like to be a farmer or rancher?  \n• Can you see yourself as a host, an educator, atour guide, a reservation clerk, a cook, and a maid? If  \nnot, do you know someone who can do some or all of these things for you?  \n• Do you know how your land is zoned and whether you are allowed to build a cabin or add camping to your property? Have you spoken yet with your county planning department?  \n• Do you have the necessary cash to invest in a remodel or a building or land grading, as well as all the furniture and amenities necessary to host guests overnight? If not, can you raise the cash?  \n• Do you have an idea of how many nights you will need to be booked, and at what room rate, to break even on your investment and ultimately to make a profit?  \n• Have you researched the local  \ncompetition: what they charge, what they offer, how often they are booked?  \n• Have you thought about your legal structure and what you might need to know about insurance necessary to cover your family, your business, and your guests?  \n• E","cbCainS6EWndzK3c","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCainS6EWndzK3c","pdf",4848699,19,"English","# Assessing yourself, your farm, for on-farm lodging\n## Questions to consider before inviting guests\n# A California Agricultural Homestay or “Farm Stay”\n## Guidelines established in 1999 and revised in 2008\n## Definitions and guest limits","[{\"question\":\"What is a California farm stay and what do guests typically expect?\",\"answer\":\"A California farm stay is hosted lodging on a working farm or ranch where guests pay to stay overnight. Guests may be invited to help with benign chores, tour the property, or participate in activities, but they are not expected to work for their stay.\"},{\"question\":\"Which issues should be assessed before starting on-farm lodging?\",\"answer\":\"Key areas include your comfort hosting strangers, whether you can cover multiple guest-facing roles, local zoning and build/ camping permissions, available cash for upgrades, booking targets to break even, and knowledge of insurance and hospitality/customer service readiness.\"},{\"question\":\"What do California Agricultural Homestay guidelines require?\",\"answer\":\"The guidelines provide a framework for counties to permit limited on-farm lodging and meal service, including constraints such as a food facility with 6 or fewer guestrooms and a maximum of 15 guests, with requirements tied to the farm producing agricultural products and the owner/tenant residing on the property.\"}]","Guest Lodging on Your California Farm or Ranch - A Practical Guide | PDF",7]