Diversifying the Family Farm: How Small-Scale Dog Boarding Can Add Reliable Income
If you notice anything I may have missed, please know my goal isn’t to present this from a builder’s perspective, but from a farmer’s perspective—showing a practical way to add income to your farm without having to leave it.
For many farmers in southeastern Ohio, staying profitable means thinking creatively. Weather, markets, and fuel prices all fluctuate—but a steady sideline enterprise can help smooth those bumps. One surprisingly practical option is dog boarding: a small, climate-controlled kennel right on the farm.
The idea isn’t to replace your main operation—whether that’s livestock, produce, or timber—but to complement it. A modest four-run kennel can be managed between regular chores, keeps you close to home, and provides consistent cash flow that isn’t tied to commodity markets or crop yields.
Within a fifty-mile radius of Meigs County, a recent review found only eleven kennels offering overnight boarding. Prices run $35–$50 per night, averaging about $39. Many are booked months in advance during holidays. That suggests strong unmet demand—particularly for quiet, rural, family-run settings.
A comfortable four-run building (enough for three to five dogs) can fit on less than 500 square feet of concrete and use basic farm-shop materials:
• Size: roughly 16′×24′ (≈384 sq ft indoors)
• Structure: insulated post-frame or shed-style building
• Foundation: poured concrete with slight slope and epoxy finish
• Walls: washable FRP panels
• HVAC: a single-zone mini-split heat pump
• Outdoor runs: four 10′×10′ chain-link pens with roof cover
• Power & drainage: standard electrical feed and shallow trench drain
Estimated 2025 costs range between $23,700 and $46,100, depending on finish quality. That includes the slab, shell, FRP, epoxy, HVAC, electrical, and outdoor runs—ready to operate.
At $40 per night and 60 percent occupancy for ten months of the year, such a kennel would generate about $28,800 in annual gross revenue. After operating costs (feed, cleaning, insurance, utilities - roughly 35 percent), a farmer could net $18,000 to $20,000 per year. That equals a payback period of roughly two years, shorter if occupancy or rates rise.
A higher-end or five-run setup could bring in $30,000–$36,000 annually. Because the building qualifies as farm infrastructure, depreciation and equipment write-offs may further improve the financial picture.
Adding a small kennel fits neatly into a broader vision of farm diversification. Like agritourism, on-farm processing, or niche meat sales, it uses under-utilized space to earn dependable revenue. More importantly, it lets families stay rooted on their land while strengthening local economies.
A four-run kennel won’t make anyone rich overnight, but it can deliver stable, year-round income—and a sense of connection with the community. For many small operators across southeastern Ohio, that combination of practicality and independence might be the best breed of all.
The idea isn’t to replace your main operation—whether that’s livestock, produce, or timber—but to complement it. A modest four-run kennel can be managed between regular chores, keeps you close to home, and provides consistent cash flow that isn’t tied to commodity markets or crop yields.
Within a fifty-mile radius of Meigs County, a recent review found only eleven kennels offering overnight boarding. Prices run $35–$50 per night, averaging about $39. Many are booked months in advance during holidays. That suggests strong unmet demand—particularly for quiet, rural, family-run settings.
A comfortable four-run building (enough for three to five dogs) can fit on less than 500 square feet of concrete and use basic farm-shop materials:
• Size: roughly 16′×24′ (≈384 sq ft indoors)
• Structure: insulated post-frame or shed-style building
• Foundation: poured concrete with slight slope and epoxy finish
• Walls: washable FRP panels
• HVAC: a single-zone mini-split heat pump
• Outdoor runs: four 10′×10′ chain-link pens with roof cover
• Power & drainage: standard electrical feed and shallow trench drain
Estimated 2025 costs range between $23,700 and $46,100, depending on finish quality. That includes the slab, shell, FRP, epoxy, HVAC, electrical, and outdoor runs—ready to operate.
At $40 per night and 60 percent occupancy for ten months of the year, such a kennel would generate about $28,800 in annual gross revenue. After operating costs (feed, cleaning, insurance, utilities - roughly 35 percent), a farmer could net $18,000 to $20,000 per year. That equals a payback period of roughly two years, shorter if occupancy or rates rise.
A higher-end or five-run setup could bring in $30,000–$36,000 annually. Because the building qualifies as farm infrastructure, depreciation and equipment write-offs may further improve the financial picture.
Adding a small kennel fits neatly into a broader vision of farm diversification. Like agritourism, on-farm processing, or niche meat sales, it uses under-utilized space to earn dependable revenue. More importantly, it lets families stay rooted on their land while strengthening local economies.
A four-run kennel won’t make anyone rich overnight, but it can deliver stable, year-round income—and a sense of connection with the community. For many small operators across southeastern Ohio, that combination of practicality and independence might be the best breed of all.
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