Welcome to the final chapter in our four-part celebration of Farm Stay USA’s 15th anniversary! We’ve introduced you to the visionaries, the adventurers, and the enthusiasts—now it’s time to shine a light on the rest of us: the farms that didn’t quite fit neatly into any one category but were equally instrumental in building this movement.

These farms, including my own—Leaping Lamb Farm—started in the early 2000s. We weren’t just testing the waters, nor were we seasoned pros. We were somewhere in the middle, navigating the challenges of keeping our farms afloat while exploring new ways to share what we loved with others.

For us, farm stays weren’t just a fun idea—they were a lifeline. In my case, the concept quite literally saved our farm. Opening our doors to guests gave us the financial and emotional support we needed to keep going. And as I looked around the country, I realized we weren’t alone. There were incredible farms and ranches doing the same thing—but scattered, hard to find, and operating without a shared platform.

So, with the help of a USDA grant and a whole lot of determination, we launched Farm Stay USA: a centralized site where curious travelers could discover authentic rural experiences, and where farmers could find community, visibility, and support. We knew it worked in places like Italy and the U.K.—why not here? Why not invite people out to the countryside, just a short drive from their homes, to reconnect with food, nature, and the people who make both possible?

It turns out, we were onto something.

Crow Farm Vineyard and Winery in Kennedyville MD, taken on by Judy and Roy Crow in 2008, is a third generation heritage farm. They transformed the family farm from dairy, wheat, corn and soy to grass-fed Angus beef and planted a vineyard. At this time they also opened their B&B. Their motto: “stay original” drives a growing business of selling their natural grass-fed beef to local citizens and restaurants in the area. Guests enjoy their quality estate wines and farm-to-table events in the Haybarn.  As Judy says, “Having the public be a part of your farm family takes commitment and planning.” She thinks of safety first. Her husband enjoys taking guests to feed and rotate the cattle. Judy enjoys taking them to the chicken yard to collect eggs. The winemaker enjoys speaking about his wine making techniques. Even their volunteer gardener who manages the vegetable gardens gets into it and gives garden tours, enlisting guest help in return for veggies they can take home with them. One funny story had to do with the guest who sent a message saying how much they had enjoyed their stay but on return home had cooked some of the corn they had taken from the field that was just terrible. Judy had to explain that the corn they had picked was field corn for the cattle and not human consumption! In the end, the reward for hosting guests doesn’t come from other family members or staff but rather from the guests themselves. Having outsiders see the efforts and dedication to farming that is rewarded with money and kind words is the greatest compliment, improving morale and keeping these farmers smiling.

Fairwind Farms in North East MD actually started to host guests in 1999. JoAnn and Ted Dawson had dreamed of having a B&B where they could share a farm experience. They finally found their farm and made their dream come true, not only inviting guests to stay over, but their horses as well! They advise new farm stay owners to be open and welcoming to visitors, showing them around and patiently answering questions. They feel it important to realize many may never have seen or been near any kind of farm animals, even dogs, so they try to help them ease into the experience. Collecting eggs from the chicken house is always fun for the questions…and for the answers. Asking how many eggs a chicken lays in a day has had some funny answers and one adult even asked once what the farm does with the eggs after collecting them. The thought was that the eggs had to go to the store first before they could be eaten. When asked for a favorite story, JoAnn referred to her book “Bed, Breakfast, and Beyond: Twenty Years of Kooky Guests, Gentle Ghosts, and Horses in Between” for some of the more interesting experiences. As for why they listed on the Farm Stay USA site, JoAnne feels is has always been a well-respected platform that pairs guests with just the right farm experience they are searching for, making life easy for the farmer as well.

Leaping Lamb Farm is a small family sheep farm in the Coast Range of Oregon. Scottie and Greg Jones moved to the farm in 2003 as new farmers and by 2008 had launched their farm stay when it became evident that running a small-scale lambing operation was not going to pay to fix the tractor. Luck was on their side for getting the word out: Sunset Magazine mentioned them, the Today Show included the farm in a summer travel piece, and the Oregonian ran a front page story – all within the first year. That and word-of-mouth have kept them busy ever since. Scottie launched Farm Stay USA in 2010 because she recognized a need for farms doing what she was doing to show up on one site…and she was tired of searching Google to help guests find another farm stay when she was booked! Guests at Leaping Lamb Farm are invited to help with chores and love this part, whether it is feeding hay to the sheep, helping with lambing, or “scooping poop”. Of course, for that last chore the option is always given to cuddle goats instead. It’s the hands-on activities that make people keep coming back. As for the reward, when kids say the experience is better than Disneyland and the parents comment on the “best vacation ever” and re-book for the next year, it’s enough to know an impact has been made…and for the better. Also that the tractor can be fixed because of the added income. While Farm Stay USA has taken a moment to find its place in the travel world because both guests and farms have had to be educated about farm stays: what they were, why they were a unique experience, their importance. 15 years (and Covid) later, it all makes sense. Her memoir, Country Grit: A Farmoir of Finding Love and Purpose, was published in 2017.

Sweet Retreat Guesthouse and Sugarworks in Northfield, Vermont is owned by Hannah and Ray Morvan. Having bought the property in 1992, the Morvans built a guest house for friends to visit during sugaring season in spring and leaf season in fall. In 2001 they decided to turn the guest house into a farm stay business. The primary product for the farm is maple syrup produced in their Sugarworks building and sold both wholesale and retail in finely etched bottles. But, the farm is also home to Heritage Ox Farm where show oxen are raised and trained to take to fairs, parades and demonstrations. The experience on the farm is observational for guests rather than hands-on as both areas of production (Sugarworks and Ox Farm) can be dangerous. Instead, guests can enjoy hiking and cross country skiing on the trails throughout the 400 acre farm. Hannah’s advice to those considering hosting guests on farm property is to think about what guests will be allowed to do. One should always be conscious of the liability risks and post signage addressing the risks of visiting a farm. Her most memorable story has to do with the ongoing education of guests about the oxen. Brought to the farm as steers, these animals are not oxen until they are trained. Somewhere in between, they are called Handy Steers. It takes four years for a steer to become a fully-trained oxen. The Morvans were introduced to a European head yoke style which lashes the yoke to the bony part of the head at the base of the horns while up in Nova Scotia scouting for steers. The oxen wear decorative leather face pads and collars with brass bells hanging from the collars.  Interestingly, a number of guests who have found Sweet Retreat through their Farm Stay USA profile are farmers from all over (New Zealand being the furthest away) trying to learn either about sugaring or oxen (or both).

Willet Ponds Horse Farm in Todd North Carolina is a horse farm owned by Walton Conway. Soon after he and his wife, Betty, set up their horse farm in 2005, their closest neighbor put his house up for sale. It was the original old farmhouse for the land they were living on. They decided to offer the Old Farmhouse as a guest house to share their dream. In subsequent years they were able to buy out two more neighbors, piecing the old farm back together, and adding more houses for guests. They sell eggs, poultry, firewood, trout, apples and more, but the real treasure there is intangible.  Set in the back of a secluded valley with 100+ acres of mountain views, streams, trails, and meadows, Willet Ponds Farm offers the perfect Appalachian mountain farm stay.  For farms considering doing what Walton does, he advises “Do it! Our youth have a great hunger and need for wholesome, hands-on experiences. Our most important crop is the next generation!’  The more we share, the more comes back to us.” When asked for a favorite farm chore shared with guests, it’s an enthusiastic “mucking the barn!” Kids learn to drive a wheelbarrow, use a rake and shovel. Parents discover that their kids can work! And they all go home with a new idea about what a vacation can be. Walton says he still smiles thinking about the lady who exclaimed, “If you had told me yesterday that I’d be shoveling horse manure on my vacation!!!” A particular family has returned to the farm many times over the years. Each time Walton finds unique experiences for them to enjoy: pressing apple cider, building a holzhausen, even slaughtering a deer. Most recently they brought chainsaws with them and spent their vacation helping to clear trees blown down by hurricane Helene. The farmer was humbled. For Willet Ponds, Farm Stay USA has been instrumental in connecting them with families far and wide who seek out farm experiences when they travel. The guests sent from the site are always enthusiastic and eager to celebrate their mission–connecting people to the land and life in the country.

Conclusion

Looking back on the last 15 years, we’re filled with gratitude and awe—for the farms that took a chance, for the guests who showed up with curiosity and open hearts, and for the growing community that continues to believe in the power of agritourism. From the trailblazers to the new farmers and ranchers just starting out, each story shapes the vibrant patchwork that is Farm Stay USA.

This may be the final part of our anniversary series, but it’s not the end of the journey. We’re more inspired than ever to keep growing, connecting, and sharing the magic of life on a working farm or ranch.

Here’s to the next 15 years—and to all of you who make this movement matter. Thank you for being part of our story.

(Header photo courtesy of Willet Ponds Farm)

The post 15 Years of Farm Stay USA: Celebrating Our Roots and Honoring the Founders Who Helped Cultivate a Movement (4) appeared first on Farmstay.

1.     The Wilson Family came to ranch in the Oregon Territories by traveling the Oregon Trail back in the 1800s. Do you know much about their trek and why they made it?

Phil and Nancy’s families homesteaded in Wheeler and Gilliam Counties in the 1870’s.  They traveled on the Oregon Trail in the early 1850’s to the Willamette Valley before coming to North Central Oregon.

2.     What made you want to continue your families’ ranching tradition?

Love of the land and Phil didn’t have enough sense to leave.  Phil came home to the ranch after graduation from college.  This is a great life and the Blessings are many!

3.     How has ranching changed over the 150+ years your family has been ranching?

Wilson Ranches has gone from the horse-drawn age to the combustion mechanical age to the computer age.  The only aspect of ranching that has been little affected is the cattle operation.  The LE brand has been in the family for four generations.

4.     You follow a “green-friendly, twice-over” grazing program. Could you tell us how this works?

Wilson Ranches follows a “green-friendly, twice over” grazing program to increase grass production.  Each pasture is grazed, rested, and grazed again in a rotational system with multiple pastures.  Wilson Ranches is managing the resources of the ranch for future generations.

5.     What kind of experience does your ranch offer guests?

The deck at Wilson Ranches Retreat is a great place to watch the cattle or deer grazing.  The Retreat is shaded by trees, which are often alive with a variety of birds as this is a songbird migratory route.  This incredible secluded scenic area with spectacular sunsets and brilliant star-studded nights will captivate you.

Riding at Wilson Ranches RetreatOur guests enjoy horseback riding in a geologically and historically rich area of Wheeler County, or a quiet hike to view the wildlife and diverse plant life on Wilson Ranches.  Guests are welcome to help move cattle from mid-spring to late fall.  A 4-Wheel Drive Sunset Tour is also available.  This tour is approximately five hours and will give you a magnificent view of the Cascade Mountain Range (Three Sisters to Mt. Rainer).

6.    What do people see and do while there?

Wilson Ranches Retreat is a great place to headquarter your exploration of the Clarno, Sheep Rock and Painted Hills Units of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument.  It has the richest find of prehistoric fossils in the world.  Public fossil digging is available behind Wheeler High School in the town of Fossil.  The John Day River offers world-class small mouth bass fishing and river rafting trips.

7.     Could you describe the landscape, flora, and fauna around your ranch?

Wilson Ranches is a diverse area with an extreme mixture of geologies with formations from 50 million years ago to the present time.  Rolling hills to deep basalt canyons, high lava ridges and buttes with amazing views of the Cascade and Blue Mountain Ranges.  The landscape is covered with wild flowers in the spring and early summer.

8.    What’s the climate like?

The climate is semi-arid with an annual average rainfall from 12 to 16 inches per year.  Temperatures in the winter are usually mild but can go as low as 15 degrees below zero for short  periods of time.  Summer temperatures vary from 70 to 100 degrees.

9.     What’s on your breakfast menu?

Breakfast is served family style each morning at 8:00 am with the Wilson Family sharing their experience of life on the ranch and interesting and entertaining stories by Phil.  The breakfast menu includes bacon (sausage, ham or beef little smokies), farm fresh eggs, biscuits (blueberry muffins, coffee cake or German pancakes), fruit, and Bob’s Red Mill oatmeal with all the fixin’s (pecans, brown sugar, raisins and craisins).

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For more information on Wilson Ranches Retreat, visit their Farm Stay U.S. listing and their website. All photos on this blog are courtesy Wilson Ranches Retreat.

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1. Could you tell us about the history of your farm?

2. Could you tell us about your animals?

I have at any time as many as 35 to 45 head of trail horses, boarding horses, rescued thoroughbreds, and I still have my old barrel mare, Star. She is 26 now and still gets excited when she hears a gate clank, like in the arena. We have several barn cats, so no mice! We have a couple of stocked ponds for the guest to fish, on a catch & release basis. We have chickens for eggs, guineas, pheasants, & turkeys for gumbos, and a pot-bellied pig, along with milk goats and sheep. If I could get my nannies to have girls instead of boys, we could make goat cheese.

3. Why did you choose to breed and raise dachshunds?

Dachshunds (long haired) are gorgeous dogs, very smart and funny. They are small for your lap, but big with loyalty. I love all hounds, but Dachshunds’ different shape and almost-shaped eyes are too hard to resist. The first time I saw a Dachshund, I was in a stationary store, and when I took a seat, the red pillow next to me moved and I jumped! I looked down and saw these gorgeous brown eyes and long flowing red coat. I didn’t even know what kind of dog it was until the owner told me. Then, a week later, I was at Louisiana Paralegal Seminar in New Orleans, and during a break I was walking through the hotel lobby and a lady came off the elevator with two long haired black & tans on a double leash. Their gait was just breathtaking for such short legs, and I was hooked. I rescue many dachshunds from animal shelters and breeders. Sometimes they simply show up in my neighborhood!

4.  Do you have a favorite vegetable or fruit, either to grow or to eat?

Strawberries and tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes, hands down! We are lucky in Louisiana to be able to grow both in several plantings almost year around. A greenhouse has been a great addition to my food supply. We can start our tomato seeds in December and plant in pots in February and in the ground in early April, for early spring tomatoes in May. Strawberries are wonderful, too. Two plantings a year, and they have more vitamin C than oranges, plus they freeze outstandingly well.

5. What is the setting of your farm like?

 

Our farm is pastoral, with woods to explore and lots of animals to visit. Our farm is prettier to most guests in the spring and summer when the plants and flowers are out, but fall is my favorite time! We may not have the foliage changes like up in the northeast, but to me Louisiana is beautiful in the fall.  It could also be that after our hot summers, we are charmed by the cooler weather.

Our pool area is very nice and can feel very private, as it’s surrounded by hibiscus, but you can be floating in the pool and look out and see beautiful horses grazing 100 feet away. We have herb gardens and raised beds with seasonal veggies to admire and when we have an abundant crop, we are more than happy to let you pick some to take home with you.

6. What do most of your guests do during their stay?

They walk around the farm, get to know the petting zoo animals, pick veggies in high season, take a hike on the horse trails through the 45 acres, trail ride after breakfast, read a book on the patio, swim, fish the stocked ponds, or take a nap in a hammock (my favorite when I have time!)  They also get to choose what they are going to have for breakfast the next morning.  Every guest gets a menu with four to five items to choose from. No generic breakfast casserole is served in my dining room!

7. Your B&B includes three guest bedrooms – “The Queens’ Suite,” “La Louisiane,” and “Ponderosa.” You also offer a furnished guest apartment with six bunk beds. Could you tell us about the décor and your decorating philosophy?

My decorating philosophy is really about comfort. I use 1000+ thread count sheets, down comforters, and thick towels. We iron all the sheets. It’s luxurious even though you’re on a farm. We also offer flat-screen TVs, DVD players and board games. There’s so much to do here!

8. Anything more you’d like to add?

I am very blessed to be living my dream — being in the country, surrounded by animals, cooking for people, decorating for the seasons, and having a very wonderful husband and children who support my dream and like my mother-in-law told me, “You have vision!  I am so proud of you!”  I am proud of me, too, and of Splendor Farms!

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Photo credits: Carl Bordelon Photography

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