Bolinda Vale Farm in Keysbrook, Western Australia, has expanded its agricultural income through a small-scale camping operation that has operated alongside the family’s cattle and sheep business since 2019.
Owner Deb Butler said the idea for farm camping came after she read about other farms using campsites as an additional source of income. She discussed the concept with her family, and the first campsite was established within months.
“We started one camp, and people loved it so we started another one and another one,” she said.
“Just weekends . . . it’s very popular.”
The farm now operates several campsites while maintaining its 1,214-hectare agricultural operation. Butler manages the property with her daughter Katelyn, brother Mick and mother Coralie. The fourth-generation farming family breeds about 600 Angus cattle, along with Hereford, Murray Grey and Charolais crosses.
“We have a our own Angus stud,” she told Countryman.
“We breed our own bulls, and then we buy in bulls every few years for new bloodlines.”
The family recently purchased several sires from Little Meadows Angus in Dardanup, selecting animals based on factors including temperament, growth rate and low birth weight.
Bolinda Vale sells calves directly to feedlots, a model Butler said the family adopted after finding weaner sales too costly. The farm also maintains about 200 Merino ewes and lambs, although its sheep numbers have declined following the announcement of the live sheep export ban.
The combination of farming and camping gives the family an additional revenue stream without requiring a major change to its agricultural operations. Butler said the campsites have been designed to remain separate from the farm’s working areas, using old dairy raceways to provide access.
“It’s quite self-sufficient,” she said.
“I’ve really nailed down the nitty-gritty of how to do it.”
“They’ll check in, I send them the directions via text, which is the standard text to everybody to each campsite, and they find their way there.”
The relatively hands-off operating model allows the family to manage guest arrivals without significantly increasing the demands associated with running the farm. For agricultural businesses considering tourism, the approach illustrates how existing infrastructure and clearly defined guest procedures can help keep an accommodation operation separate from day-to-day farming activities.
The camping business was recognized twice at Hipcamp’s 2026 Awards on Tuesday, September 8, receiving the award for best place to camp in Western Australia and a national Legacy Hipcamp designation. The latter recognizes established properties that have developed a returning customer base on the platform.
The recognition came as the Butler family marked 100 years of operating the farm business.
For Butler, the camping operation has provided a supplementary income source during a period when agricultural returns have been challenging.
“Farming income is pretty poor, we were on low wage too,” she said.
“We live a good life but that extra income is handy for sure.”
The experience has also shaped Butler’s approach to other farmers considering agritourism. Rather than investing heavily before determining whether there is sufficient demand, she recommends starting with a limited offering.
“Don’t go full-blown . . . just test the waters,” she said.
For farm owners exploring camping or other forms of outdoor accommodation, Bolinda Vale’s model highlights several considerations: using existing farm infrastructure where possible, keeping visitor areas separate from operational areas, establishing standardized guest communications and starting with a limited number of sites. The approach can allow operators to assess demand and workload before committing to a larger tourism investment.
