Agri-tourism is seen by many as an essential way for small farmers and ranchers to boost the economic viability of their operations. Some in West Marin have embraced an online platform called Hipcamp—a camper’s version of Airbnb—and they are hoping the county will make it easier for them to use it.
The site allows campers to pitch a tent or park an R.V. on someone’s property and their hosts to pocket extra money that is often needed to keep farms and ranches afloat. But under Marin’s current zoning regulations, there’s no distinction between hosting a family with a tent and opening a full-scale campground. Both require a use permit that can be expensive and time-consuming to obtain.
“We’re working with landowners who are asking for more affordable and accessible permitting options,” said Michal Rosenoer, a Hipcamp representative who gave a presentation last week to the Point Reyes Station Village Association. “Hipcamp is a really interesting way to leverage the outdoor recreation industry to support agricultural communities in California long-term.”
Ms. Rosenoer, a native of Tiburon, has held preliminary conversations with county officials, urging them to consider new rules. Among those Hipcamp has approached is Sarah Jones, the director of the Community Development Agency.
Ms. Jones told the Light that she might be open to the idea, provided it is restricted to large agricultural properties. She sees it as one of various potential ways to promote agri-tourism—a goal county officials have embraced.
“I don’t see this as something we should be changing our residential zoning to accommodate,” she said. “It seems like something that might be worth exploring on agricultural properties, because it might potentially promote agricultural sustainability.”
A bill sponsored by state Sen. Mike McGuire would make a distinction between commercial camping and low-impact camping. Under the latter category, non-urban property owners with at least two acres of land could host up to nine sites, with no more than one per acre, provided they meet all local zoning and safety standards.
Ms. Rosenoer said she has been working for about a year with a group of Marin property owners who are seeking more clarity about what’s permitted under county zoning rules. “It became clear that in Marin there just aren’t really clear guidelines for if and how you can host campers on agricultural lands,” she said. “They want a chance to host school groups and families and expose them to what a rural and agricultural lifestyle can look like.”
Lisa Poncia, a co-owner of Stemple Creek Ranch in Tomales, has listed four cottages on Airbnb for several years and added two campsites on Hipcamp during the pandemic, when restrictions were imposed on in-home rentals. “We were hearing from so many people who were just looking for opportunities to be out in nature, and there weren’t a lot of other things they could do,” she said.
The Poncias have been hosting farm stays at their ranch since they started Stemple Creek 15 years ago, offering people a chance to learn about regenerative agriculture and see where their food comes from.
“We figured that the best way to get our name out there was to have people come to the ranch and shake our hands and look us in the eyes and create relationships that way,” she said. “It’s a great marketing tool. People come learn who we are, and they post on social media and tell their neighbors. It’s true, old-fashioned grassroots marketing.”
The county has spent more than a year crafting updated rules that would cap the number of short-term rentals in West Marin. The proposed regulations, which go before the California Coastal Commission next week, exempted large agricultural properties.
Planning officials were receptive to pleas from ranchers and farmers who said they relied on income from farm stays to remain afloat. And they concluded that the noise and parking challenges posed by rentals in residential neighborhoods don’t pertain to large ranches.
Steve Antonaros, president of the Point Reyes Station Village Association, said members who attended Ms. Rosenoer’s presentation were pleased that Hipcamp had sought them out before attempting to push any new rules onto the books.
“They did come at a very early stage and engage with the larger community,” he said. “They’re doing their due diligence, and we appreciate that.”
Some members wondered whether Hipcamp sites would be an economical alternative to pricey Airbnbs—or whether they would end up as “glamping” sites that didn’t offer affordable access to the seashore. “The flashing yellow light was whether people are going to be asking $300 a night to sleep in a fancy tent,” Mr. Antonaros said.
Melissa Daniels, owner of Cow Track Ranch in Nicasio, said she doesn’t know any longtime West Marin farm families who get by on ranching alone. She couldn’t keep her direct-to-consumer beef operation afloat without agri-tourism income and her full-time job as a project manager for Kaiser Permanente.
“It takes all these slices of the pie to be able to afford to do what we do,” she said. “Of all the farmers I know who were born and raised in West Marin, either the husband or wife is going off the ranch to make a living. With inflation and the price of insurance, people can’t afford to live off agriculture alone, not only in California but across the United States.”
She advertises farm stays on Airbnb and thinks Hipcamp is a good option, though she’s not interested in posting her ranch on the site herself. “My biggest concern is fire,” she said. “We’ve had a couple of PG&E transformers blow up, so I’m a little bit traumatized by fires. And then there’s the bathroom. Where’s somebody going to go?”