Nearly 1,000 New York farms brought in $55.5 million from agritourism in 2022, more than triple the activity recorded in 2007, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture census figures cited by Cornell University. Farm visits, stays and hands-on experiences are becoming another source of income as the state loses farms and farmland.
Cornell Cooperative Extension has expanded support for those businesses since 2020. Its network has offered more than 40 recorded webinars and fact sheets over the past three years, with subjects ranging from taxes and liability to grants and designing visitor experiences.
The growth has not reversed the broader decline in farming. New York lost 14% of its farms and 9% of its farmland between 2017 and 2022, according to the USDA figures in Cornell's report. Extension specialist Lindsey Pashow said visitor programs can diversify a farm's revenue and connect it with its community, but opening a working property to guests brings costs and responsibilities.
Building a farm business around visitors
Andrea Parent-Tibbetts and her family turned a defunct Hyde Park property into Clover Brooke Farm, a fiber farm now drawing about 5,000 visitors a year. Llama and alpaca hikes are its best-known offering; it also hosts animal yoga, crafts, soap and loofah making, and farm tours.
Parent-Tibbetts said the animals give her a way to explain their place in the farm and the work behind the products. Her connection to Cornell Cooperative Extension began through her children's 4-H participation in Dutchess County, and she later volunteered in 4-H leadership roles. A 2018 training for women farmers helped her as she expanded the business after a career in school finance, she said.
In Broome County, first-time farmer Steven Marion bought a dormant farm last year and started Farm in Broome, offering stays meant to let visitors step away from technology. Marion said extension staff helped him understand the local business landscape and connect with other farmers after he moved into the area without farming experience.
Melaine Rottkamp of Destination Dutchess, a county tourism nonprofit, said visitor demand extends beyond traditional hayrides and pick-your-own fruit. Farms are adding sunflower and lavender fields and overnight stays, while guests seek time outdoors and closer contact with food production.
Training and a Geneva conference
More than 80 extension educators across county offices are part of a working group organizing tours and events to connect farm operators with one another and local resources. The group held an inaugural agritourism conference in Saratoga Springs in 2025 and plans another Nov. 4-5 at Cornell AgriTech in Geneva.
The webinars address the business details behind a farm visit, including taxes, potential legal liability, grants and the design of an experience. Pashow said operators must also work with municipal rules and decide how guests can safely use the property. Those questions can be especially difficult for someone starting a farm or adding public access to an existing one.
Parent-Tibbetts said inviting people onto farms can help them understand why farmland matters as development pressures grow around Dutchess County. Marion said connections with fellow operators give newcomers a place to ask practical questions, while the Geneva gathering will offer another opportunity for farmers to share what they have learned.
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