A new twist on agri-tourism, from the Germans

See the story on heuhotels -- or hay hotels -- here. It is on the New York Times list of most emailed stories right now. Here's an excerpt about the mostly German phenomenon of transforming barns and potato warehouses into places where guests can sleep cheap on a bed of hay:

The eco-friendly hotels (no sheets to change) are cheap and appeal to the country’s many cyclists, nature lovers and outdoorsy families. Sleeping accommodations range from open lofts filled with bales of hay, to feed stalls furnished with wooden platforms. And while a few hotels have added more civilized amenities like privacy curtains and bottles of wine to take to bed, most still require that guests bring their own sleeping bag and towels.