Why one Oregon farm is embracing hospitality
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Cattle graze with their calves at Tabula Rasa Farms. Photo: Meira Gebel/Axios
Margins can be razor-thin for small farms in Oregon, leaving some to try out a new crop: hospitality.
Why it matters: As the number of farms continues to decline, more operators are turning to agritourism as a way to survive while connecting people with the land and the food it produces.
State of play: One such operation, Tabula Rasa Farms in Yamhill County, has expanded to include overnight stays, wellness retreats and restaurants as a way to sustain the 500-acre regenerative farm that sits at the center of it all.
Zoom in: Artist-turned-farmer Brenda Smola-Foti started Tabula Rasa Farms on 23 acres in 2015, then began purchasing neighboring properties. Today, the farm raises cattle, chickens and pigs. It also grows and then sells more than 200 varieties of fruits and vegetables.
- The farm property, now known as The Ground, features a nine-room luxury bed-and-breakfast, a wellness center with tennis and pickleball, a forthcoming vineyard and several nearby restaurants (including a pub and market-slash-pizzeria).
- Inn the Ground, the bed-and-breakfast, offers sweeping views of the Willamette Valley, 8 miles of hiking trails and farm-to-table meals with nightly rates from $500 to $900.
- Since the inn opened in 2023, lodging, retreats and other programming have become its largest source of revenue, accommodations general manager Heather Miller told Axios.
Between the lines: Such diversification is turning farms into destinations.
- For example, Abbey Road Farm in Carlton has its central vineyard and tasting room but also has a micro-hotel in refurbished grain silos and a spacious event venue for weddings.
- Highland Farms on Mount Hood, which raises Scottish cattle, boasts several cottages, a campground and a Nordic spa.
"It's difficult to be a small farm, and it's only gotten harder," Anna Caporael, The Ground's hospitality director, told Axios.
- Oregon's strict land-use laws and regulatory restrictions can make it difficult for farms to add hotels and restaurants unless they meet narrow exceptions.
- The hassle — and upfront costs — are enough to dissuade many small farms from pursuing agritourism projects in the first place, Caporael said.
Meanwhile, lawmakers loosened some agritourism rules earlier this year, allowing farms to host more food-focused events and expand retail offerings on site.
The bottom line: For The Ground's farm manager, Justin Peterson, the diversification model isn't about moving away from agriculture but a means to protect it and allow more people to experience it.
- "I see it as an entire living organism," he said.