You Don’t Have to Travel to Italy to Experience Epic Agritourismo Farm Stays—There Are Some Right Here in the West

The launch of the regenerative farm stays through a new company called Sagra has long been on our radar. And this summer, the program is finally coming to fruition, with the announcement of Sagra’s opening of their Studio Hill farm stay in Shaftsbury, VT, available to book starting this week—with Silver Penny Farm in Petaluma and Zuma Canyon Orchids in Malibu becoming available to book this fall. (Fun fact: former Cowgirl Creamery owner Sue Conley is the owner of Silver Penny.)

The company hopes to provide travelers with deep and meaningful connections to food, the land it’s grown on, and the community it takes to bring it to the table in the hopes that they’ll go home with a fresh perspective on the food system that they can integrate into their lives. At Silver Penny, for instance, they’ll get to harvest fresh organic vegetables and tend to the honeybees during their stay at the five-bedroom cottage home.

Anna Barzin

“Sagra is an Italian word that essentially means “a celebration of food and community.’ That word encapsulates everything we are about. It’s not just focused on farming and the magic of what can happen in the soil, but it’s the whole human aspect of people connecting with those places. The simple act of visiting a farm can have a massive impact,” says founder and CEO David Rust.

Rust isn’t the only one on the bus. Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Shawn Mendes is also an investor in the concept, which aims to expand on the methods of regenerative agriculture first developed by Indigenous peoples who worked in partnership with nature to produce food while improving the health of their ecosystems.

Briene Lermitte

Each location is vetted for the farm’s sustainable farming practices and the comfort of its accommodations. Stays include guided and self-guided experiences for guests to learn about specific farming practices of that farm; a guidebook with information about the farm, farmer, and their practices; a map with key areas and trails to explore; and amenities like goat milk bar soap and ceramic mugs sourced from the local communities. Reservations can be made here just in time for your late summer and early autumn wanderlust, so dust off those muckboots and get to booking.