Allowing overnight stays on farms would be a boon for rural economy

Longer-term visits on sites would further help to grow Montgomery County’s agritourism efforts

January 11, 2024 2:00 p.m.

In 2022, the General Assembly took an important step to support Maryland’s agricultural economy by passing Senate Bill 296, legislation that opened the doors to overnight stays on farms. 


It’s easy to see why the legislation passed unanimously and was supported by statewide farming groups.

Imagine taking your partner or family to a winery in the afternoon for a personalized tour of the vineyards. Next up would be dinner with a selection of local and seasonal farm-to-table offerings. Then you would head to a rustic accommodation where you can finish the evening over a warm fire and star gazing. You would wake up to a light breakfast of local sausage and eggs hatched steps away, followed by a horse-riding lesson through the farm.

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Where can I sign up?!?

Prior to serving on the council, where I am chair of the Economic Development Committee, I served on the Montgomery County Planning Board and worked on the 2019 Agritourism Study. A main goal of that report was to “support agritourism activities with a direct relationship to agriculture, to facilitate preservation of farming, farmland and rural open space.”

Last fall I hosted an Economic Development Committee discussion in the Agricultural Reserve, the first of its kind, at which many good ideas were raised, from signage, marketing and public transportation to investment in value-added production facilities. But one idea stood out from the rest: the need for visitors to be able to spend the night.

There is strong demand from people seeking authentic farm experiences, and more than a few local farmers have expressed serious interest in expanding their agritourism business. These farmers would like to host overnight guests in the same way that farms across the state are doing.

So, what is the problem? Well, despite the change in state law, Montgomery County currently prohibits this activity.

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That is why I introduced legislation that allows interested farmers to host overnight farm stays as part of their agritourism activities. The legislation provides important guardrails to ensure that farming is still the primary use of the property and that the agritourism and overnight stays are secondary. The legislation sets reasonable limits on the size and scope of the activities to keep it compatible with the rural nature of the area. The maximum number of individual accommodations is 10.

Most importantly, I am proposing that the accommodations be small and rustic. Think tents, yurts and tiny cabins – all without kitchens. No motels or hotels are allowed.

Camping and overnight farm stays are far from novel concepts. Little Bennett Regional Park, located in the Agricultural Reserve, has cabins and yurts for rent; this is allowed because they are on government-owned land. A farmer in Carroll County has been hosting overnight farm stays for years. Our neighbors in Anne Arundel, Howard and Prince George’s County have zoning ordinances amenable to overnight farm stays as does Loudoun County and the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia.

Overnight farm stays are a big win for the rural economy and the Agricultural Reserve. 

As the price of land, materials and labor continues to increase, overnight farm stays allow our farmers to adopt a new and diverse revenue stream to maintain profitability and viability. This is important so we can continue to attract the next generation of farmers and lovers of the Ag Reserve. 

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This legislation is about agritourism. It is about promoting and growing this important sector of our economy. 

It is long past time to recognize that the county’s Agricultural Reserve needs to be for everyoneFrom the child attending a Title I school learning about where her food comes from, to the immigrant farmer supplementing her culturally appropriate food growing business with overnight stays, to the empty-nesters seeking an authentic farm experience –– the Agricultural Reserve is for everyone to learn from and enjoy.

Natali Fani-González is a councilmember (D-Dist. 6) in Montgomery County and Chairs the Economic Development Committee, which oversees Agritourism.  

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