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.

Welcome to Part 3 of our special anniversary series celebrating the passionate pioneers behind Farm Stay USA! As we mark 15 years of connecting travelers with authentic, working farms and ranches across the country, we’re turning the spotlight on the spirited founding members who believed in the dream from day one and helped turn it into a thriving national network.

When Farm Stay USA first launched in 2010, farm stays were virtually unheard of in the U.S., a far cry from their popularity in Europe. Many Americans didn’t realize it was even possible to spend the night on a farm; let alone why they might want to. But a small group of forward-thinking farmers and ranchers saw the potential in opening their gates and sharing their lives with curious, countryside-seeking travelers.

From the very beginning, we walked alongside these early adopters, offering support, tools, and a community that celebrated the value of rural hospitality. Together, we nurtured a vision of agritourism rooted in connection, education, and genuine experience.

Fifteen years later, these farms have flourished. They’ve grown into confident, innovative businesses, continually adapting like all successful small farms do. Their voices are stronger, their offerings richer, and their place in the agricultural landscape well-earned.

We are incredibly proud to have been part of their journey and even more excited for what’s to come next.

B and B Orchards, located outside of Salem, Oregon was inherited by the next generation in 2011. The hazelnut orchard had been leased out and the family was not in a position to move to the farmhouse or take over operations right away. 3rd generation, Bari, and her 4th generation son, Anthony, became aware of Farm Stay USA’s website that would allow them to share the farm with others. With a few upgrades and just the right number of modern touches, the farmhouse retained all the warmth and coziness of grandma’s house.  These days, taking visitors around the farm and through the hazelnut orchard is a favorite: explaining how hazelnuts flower, set nut clusters, and are harvested. Equally popular, especially with kids, is visiting the farm animals: feeding the chickens, goats, cows and barn cats, and collecting fresh eggs. One family even spent an afternoon helping to plant flowers in the garden beds, their children wide-eyed and excited to dig in the soil, choose each plant’s spot and asking questions. As for advice to others, Anthony and his mother began modestly and learned as they went along. They searched out best practices, fostered strong relations with their neighbors stayed informed about local zoning regulations and even found grants and cost-share opportunities to offset some of their setup expenses.

Dogwood Hills is owned by Ruth and Thomas Pepler. The farm is located in Harriet, Arkansas and now offers a hands-on experience starting with morning chores, milking, harvesting fodder, gathering eggs, feeding the animals, and checking in on the babies as they arrive. It didn’t start this way. The first iteration before knowing about farm stays started with hosting pastors and their families in 2009. Their guests would walk down during chores and ask to help. It was the beginning of an idea. Ruth found Farm Stay USA and joined. She asked other farms about their setups and began from there with the assistance of her then teenage daughter. Her advice: start simply and as you get that operation under your belt, you can add another. Do things well and think through the business plan.  Her farm has grown with cooking classes, a cooking show, a barbecue contest and more. Her favorite chore with guests is milking the cows, starting with the hydroponic barley fodder they hand feed, then on to the milk stand and the entire process of brushing down the cow, cleaning and milking. Afterwards everyone heads upstairs for a full farm breakfast made with the farm fresh milk. As for favorite guest interaction, Ruth tells of the guest that was very animal shy, scared to death of everything from the moths to the dogs and when she finally put a squirt of milk in the can, she just screamed and then squealed with delight. For Ruth and her daughter, Farm Stay USA proved more than a platform to advertise their property. It opened up international travel for them through USAid to help other farm communities set up agritourism operations and it gave the farm its own community in which to engage and share and learn best practices.

Serenity Sheep Farm Stay brilliantly converted two shepherd’s wagons to welcome guests on her farm, located halfway between Yellowstone National Park and Glacier National Park in Belgrade, Montana. LaVonne opened in 2009 after discovering (from us) that there was a thing called a “farm stay” and it could be something she added to her farm to generate additional income. Originally one of her favorite chores with guests was to show them how to milk her goats. These days the goats are gone and instead she runs a wool mill where guests can learn the process of taking a sheep fleece and turning it into roving. LaVonne’s advice to farms thinking of starting up with a farm stay – make friends with your local county health and planning departments in order to understand what permits you might need and what you are actually allowed and not allowed to do on your property. Her other bit of advice when it comes to hosting guests – you never know who they might be. She admits she is a “hugger” and she includes this in her welcome note just in case this is something that might make a guest uncomfortable. One guest asked if she really did hug her guests because he had read all her material. When she queried him as to why he was checking, he responded “I like to know what I am headed into.” It turns out he was an FBI Investigative agent! Farm Stay USA gave LaVonne a basis for her operation that has now welcomed guests from 29 countries and all over the U.S. As one of her friends said, “Leave it to LaVonne to bring the world to her.”

Stillwaters Farm is a family owned and operated 153+ acre farm and vineyard in Henderson, Tennessee with a menagerie of animals (including a peacock!) and gardens. Valeria began hosting guests in 2007. At first it was just a way to accommodate friends and family who wanted to visit the Pitonis since they had uprooted their lives in a move from Florida to Tennessee. This quickly turned into a career decision with Valeria focused on educating guests about the important role agriculture plays in everyone’s lives. With the opening of her farm to guests, there were lessons learned. Be yourself in your presentation as all farm hosts are as varied as what they grow. Use direct booking to save your guests the additional fees – this also is more efficient (for everyone) and makes interactions more personal without a middleman. Her favorite experiences with guests these days revolve around the grape harvest from the vineyard recently installed in 2023. They are able to truly engage their senses in the feel, the smell and of course the taste of a ripe wine grape. As for memorable experiences, Valeria tells of a young man who brought his mom to the farm specifically to learn how to build a compost bin. They spend a Saturday together building a small one where the boy learned how to use power tools, think through the process and enjoy a job well done. Only a year later, he passed away, but his mom still visits from time to time because this was one of his favorite places in the world, a bond they will have for life. Farm Stay USA, for Stillwaters Farm, gave them the credibility they were looking for as part of a network of farmers who work hard, share their knowledge and believe in their collective future.

Vermont Grand View Farm is located in Washington, Vermont just south of Montpellier and closer to the Canadian border than to New York City. The farm is run by Kim Goodling and her family. They first started hosting guests in about 2005 after purchasing their farm and realizing it was the perfect setup for what they were then calling a “bed and breakfast”. The farm is recognized as having Vermont’s first flock of Gotland sheep, an endangered wool breed from Denmark that is slowly being revived in the U.S.  Not just about the sheep, Kim has connected her guests with Vermont’s rich agricultural life, teaching about maple sugaring, shepherding, fiber arts, and sustainable farming. They can help with chores or just settle back to snuggle with the sheep. Farm Stay USA has helped Kim spread the word about her farm and what she offers. Guests have arrived to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries and weddings. They have come to grieve the loss of loved ones and to get lost on the dirt county roads. They’ve come to get engaged and then write wedding vows. They’ve been opera composers, internationally know singing groups, Pixar graphic artists, German knitting experts, journalists, photographers, people from Siberia, Australia, Italy, India, Canada, Japan, Germany and France. The most memorable was the very first family who had a little girl. She went to help collect eggs. When she felt how warm the freshly laid egg felt, she went running to her grandmother sitting on the porch and held it out to her saying “Look, the hen laid an egg, and she even cooked it!” Teaching moments come in all shapes and forms and for all age levels and farmers like a good laugh now and then to see the farm as an outsider.

As we celebrate the enthusiasm and evolution of our founding members, we’re reminded that the farm stay movement in the U.S. has always been fueled by heart, hustle, and a deep love for the land. These early partners dared to try something new and helped shape a community that continues to grow.

But the story doesn’t end here.

In the coming weeks, we’ll share Part 4 – The Rest of Us, featuring a final group of farms that also launched in the early 2000s. those who, like Leaping Lamb Farm (my own!), were neither brand new nor deeply seasoned when they joined the Farm Stay USA family. The last part in this series offers a personal glimpse into how this movement not only supported other farms, but also helped save my own and how a vision for a nationwide farm stay platform took root. Stay tuned!

If you haven’t read Part 1 – The Trailblazers or Part 2 – The Ranchers be sure to check them out!

(Header photo courtesy of Dogwood Hills)

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As Farm Stay USA celebrates 15 years of promoting authentic farm stays and agritourism experiences across the country, we continue our spotlight on the 21 founding members who helped shape this vibrant national network of working farms and ranches.

In part two of this four-part series, we feel like this is the perfect moment to answer a common question: What’s the difference between a farm and a ranch?

In some parts of the country, what might be called a ranch in Montana is called a farm in North Carolina (and vice versa). Property owners decide what feels most accurate for their operation, often influenced by regional language and local traditions.

At Farm Stay USA, we use “farm stay” as a catch-all term—one that includes milking cows and herding them, picking apples and fixing fences. Ranches are an integral part of this story, even if they have to roll with the “farm” label now and then.

This week, we’re featuring a few of our founding ranch members out west—where the skies stretch wide, the hospitality runs deep, and guests come home with memories (and maybe a little dust on their boots).

As with Part I, we used a light-touch Q&A format to gather reflections—some ranchers followed it to the letter, others blazed their own trail. Just like their operations, no two stories are the same:

Montana Bunkhouses Working Ranches based in Livingston MT is a collection of about 20 working ranches offering a look into ranch life from the back of a horse. In 2002 Karen Searle founded the organization as an agritourism co-op modeled on the European Farm Holiday program. She educated, then coordinated some of her ranching neighbors to add lodging as a diversified income stream as they worried about passing down their ranches to the next generation. She set out to be the go-between and to find paying guests who were not looking for the lux experience of a dude ranch but rather  the hands-on opportunity of a cow poke. Karen has always known her strength as a match-maker but her advice for someone just entering the business is to not reinvent the wheel. Rather take advantage of the types of training Farm Stay USA offers, as well as mentors in the field and local extension services. Now in its third decade as a cooperative, Karen is proudest of her organization being selected for the National Geographic Tourism MapGuide of the Greater Yellowstone area. They are the only Montana ranch-vacations to have met the criteria for authenticity of experience, culture and heritage. While she sees a benefit to her ranch owners in dollars and the ability of a family’s son or daughter being able to return home to carry on the ranching tradition, she also recognizes the non-tangible joy of sharing a way of life that is hidden to most.

Howard Creek Ranch in Westport CA is an historic 60 acre, ocean front farm, bordered by miles of beach and mountains on the beautiful Mendocino Coast. The farm opened to guests in 1978. When asked why they started up, the answer was “because it was here!” The ranch includes farm animals (sheep, llama, goats, horses), award winning gardens, fireplaces/wood stoves, a 75 foot swinging foot bridge over Howard Creek, hot tubs, on-site hiking, 1000 year old redwoods, and horseback riding on the beach or in the mountains. Favorite farm chores with guests include bottle feeding calves, lambs, kids and foals. Because of the location, there are all forms of wildlife. One year their dog treed a bear and a guest’s dog joined in the fun with plenty of barking all morning long. The bear finally left and never returned and luckily the dogs remained uninjured, but not for lack of effort and enthusiasm. (Editor’s note: this is why a number of farms do not allow people’s pets to accompany them on the visit. Farms provide too many options for dogs to get into trouble, either with livestock or with wildlife.) As for joining Farm Stay USA 15 years ago, interactions with the guests who have found the farm via the site have” been lovely and a wonderful addition to our lives.” – Charles and Sally Griggs.

Rustridge Ranch in St. Helena CA is a rustic Napa Valley property: a thoroughbred racehorse ranch, a vineyard and a winery, and a bed and breakfast. The B&B opened in 1989 just before Napa County put a moratorium on B&Bs. The operation didn’t actually start hosting guests until 1990. There had been talk of doing this, as the family was always hosting friends in their large rambling house in the middle of nowhere, but the changing laws hurried up the process. It also felt like a good way to promote the winery. These days guests can join in for chores at feeding time, sip wine in the tasting room while surveying the vineyards, and maybe even be lucky enough to watch a young racehorse running down the vineyard aisles for a workout. A fond memory for Susan centers on a particular family group from years ago. The couple, having visited the ranch as adults,  went on to have three children of their own. The oldest child loved horses and the couple remembered Rustridge and brought her to visit when she was nine years old. After that, they came every summer. Their daughter helped out, knew all of the animals and their histories, and would greet guests and give them a tour as if the ranch was her home. As for becoming an inn-keeper, Susan felt she really didn’t know what she was doing to start but guests would make suggestions that she would adopt. She wanted to be the best host she could be. When problems arise, she will ask if the guests have a solution. Generally these solutions are fair and everyone walks away feeling good. Napa Valley has not become easier for farm stays in the years since Rustridge opened, but Farm Stay USA has stayed true as an advocate for this kind of experience and the ranch has been able to promote what it has to offer under the more descriptive banner.

Willow Witt Ranch is a located in a box canyon nearly a mile high in the Southern Cascades near Ashland, Oregon. The 445 acres feature meadows filled with wildflowers, conifer forests, oak woodlands, springs, wetlands, and streams flowing from the crest of the Bear Creek Watershed. The ranch, owned since the early 1980s by Suzanne Willow and Lanita Witt, has been a project of theirs – to rehabilitate an overgrazed landscape into conservation areas, regenerative organic vegetable gardens and responsible livestock farming of goats, sheep, chickens and geese. The women started sharing their property in the form of a B&B studio attached to their farmhouse back in 1986 but it wasn’t until 2008 that they dove into a more serious farm stay format. The campground was added in 2010 and their Meadow House reverted from a full-time rental in 2012. While the property is expansive, Suzanne has found over the years that it’s best to set boundaries to protect your time, decide what you like to do in terms of hospitality mixing with farming,  and start small, then grow as it makes sense. Interacting with guests has been fun when taking a hike that included the goats and always allows for some education about the land. Her best guest experience: a father and his two sons came to the ranch three years in a row. On the third year the younger boy watched a goat giving birth. He was handed one of the slippery kids to dry off, at which point he turned to his dad and said, “This is the best day of my life!” As an Oregon ranch, Farm Stay USA  always held a kinship and was the #1 referral for their business. The larger benefit for Suzanne and Lanita was being part of a community where they could share their thoughts with those who knew exactly what they were talking about. Sadly, Lanita passed away in 2022. Suzanne continues to run the business which, besides the farm stay, includes an educational non-profit The Crest and The Forest Conservation Burial Ground.

Wilson Ranches Retreat is a family-run working cattle and hay ranch on 9,000 acres in the beautiful Butte Creek Valley outside of Fossil Oregon. Eight generations of the family have been involved in ranching in the Columbia River Plateau and John Day Basin since the 1870s. Today, the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th generations are still working the ranch! In 2000, Wilson Ranches Retreat Bed and Breakfast opened to guests, offering an opportunity to experience ranch living in Eastern Oregon’s high desert. Guests from all over the world have become a part of the Wilson Ranches family. Many have viewed the ranch from horseback and been involved in cattle drives and pasture moves. Laughter at the breakfast table has greased many a wheel. The tradition of pioneer hospitality and the privilege of being stewards of the land are gifts the family cherishes and hopes to pass on. For those thinking of hosting guests on the ranch, a good hearty breakfast is always welcomed and sitting around the table to share stories and history adds to the experience. Sharing one’s ranch is a labor of love for a way of life that is quickly disappearing and the impact of sharing one’s time more important than ever. Often introducing a little buckaroo to horseback riding, even adults who have never sat astride a horse, is rewarding in itself as there is nothing like seeing the countryside from the back of a ranch horse. Many guest experiences have been memorable but they also have common themes: connection, healing journeys, the joy of riding, and families. For Wilson Ranches Retreat, located in the home state of Farm Stay USA, the organization has been a champion for Oregon working farms and ranches offering hospitality, invaluable in sharing their stories, serving as a resource, and carving a pivotal place at the table for agritourism.

These ranchers brought something special to the table—bold hospitality, deep-rooted traditions, and a true love of the land. Whether it’s corralling livestock, gathering around a fire, or saddling up for an early morning ride, their stories capture the spirit of ranch life in all its dusty, dazzling glory.

We’re so grateful they saddled up with Farm Stay USA from the very beginning.

Next week, we shine a light on The Enthusiasts—a few founding members who got their launch with us but have since built something uniquely their own. Whether it’s a vineyard, a fiber farm, or a little slice of creative heaven, these stays remind us that there’s more than one way to share farm life.

If you haven’t read Part I: The Trailblazers, be sure to check it out!

(Header photo courtesy of Montana Bunkhouses Working Ranches)

The post 15 Years of Farm Stay USA: Celebrating Our Roots and Honoring the Founders Who Helped Cultivate a Movement (2) appeared first on Farmstay.

Have you ever wanted to try your hand at milking a cow? You’re thinking, “How hard could it be?” Actually it’s not as easy as it looks but these farms want to give you a chance to dispel the romance and try for yourself. It’s where nostalgia and novelty overlap.

1. Dogwood Hills Guest Farm – Arkansas

Nestled in the Ozark Mountains, Dogwood Hills Guest Farm provides a serene setting with a variety of activities, including cow milking. Guests can stay in a comfortable three-bedroom cottage that accommodates up to eight people. The farm offers many engaging activities such as dairy tours, egg gathering, and gardening. Guests can also enjoy farm-fresh meals prepared with local ingredients, including raw milk and farm-fresh eggs​ (Farmstay)​.

2. Sanctuary Farm Montana – Montana

Sanctuary Farm Montana, located in Alberton, offers a peaceful retreat with no cell phone coverage, internet, or cable TV, allowing guests to truly unwind. Visitors can stay in a cozy log cabin or an all-season yurt, both offering unique and comfortable accommodations. The farm provides opportunities to participate in farm activities like milking goats and feeding chickens. Guests can also enjoy the beautiful surroundings, including a creek and adjacent National Forest​ (Farmstay)​.

3. Fat Sheep Farm and Cabins – Vermont

Fat Sheep Farm & Cabins, located in Hartland, Vermont, offers a unique farm stay experience where guests can immerse themselves in farm life. There are five comfortable cabins available to stay overnight. Visitors can participate in daily animal chores such as feeding and milking sheep, feeding chickens, and collecting eggs. Seasonal activities include socializing with lambs in the spring and enjoying workshops on cheese and bread making (Farmstay)​.

4. Reves de Moutons – California

Rêves de Moutons, located in the picturesque Paso Robles wine country, offers a luxurious farm stay experience. Guests can enjoy staying in retro-style campers or rooms in the farmhouse. The farm focuses on sheep and goat farming, producing milk, cheese, meat, and wool. Visitors can participate in daily farm tours and meet the animals, with opportunities for hands-on experiences like feeding and milking (Farmstay).

5. New Day Dairy – Iowa

New Day Dairy Guest Barn in Clarksville, Iowa, offers a unique farm stay experience where guests can immerse themselves in the daily life of a working dairy farm. The guest barn provides 24/7 views of 150 cows through large loft windows, allowing visitors to watch and interact with the cows from the comfort of their accommodations. Guests can even take the “Be a Dairy Farmer” challenge and participate in an introductory and farewell tour of the barn (Farmstay).

If these states aren’t on your travel list, use the filter option when you search on Farmstay for all the farms offering “Milking” .  Remember, not all farms have dairy animals, but there’s a whole host of other activities that allow you to fully immerse yourself in farm life.

Whether you’re looking to enjoy the beauty of the Ozarks, the tranquility of rural Vermont, or the scenic vistas of Montana, it’s time to come home with some good farm stories to regale your friends…and it might just be your adventures as a milkmaid!

(cover photo courtesy of Hull-o Farms, New York)

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Lauren Hartmann and Ted Bancroft wear their farm on their sleeves.

MoonRidge is a working organic farm focused on biodynamic and permaculture practices (the traditional farming practices of our forefathers who just thought of it as ‘farming’) “dedicated to supporting a healthy, vibrant environment”. But it is also a place of healing for those with cancer. It is a place of peace and meditation. It is a place to draw community in for support and education.

Lauren grew up on a traditional corn and soybean farm in Nebraska.  Forever in love with the land and gardening, she bought MoonRidge in the late 1990s as a 20 acre parcel. Little by little she sought to bring it back to a more healthy condition, all the while maintaining her job as a nurse in the local area. Ted joined Lauren on the farm not long after. His background was in tree work, both residential and commercial forestry.  The farm next door came up for sale and they added 20 acres and a house.

Get Your Yacon Here

Their farm has been certified organic since 2005. It currently produces blueberries, lingonberries, blackberries, seasonal veggies, yacon products, flowers and farm fresh eggs. Okay, so we had to ask about yacons:

In addition to being a powerful prebiotic, this amazing tuber offers many additional health benefits. As a natural sweetener, it does not affect glucose levels, providing a mild flavored sweetness to salads and smoothies. Some of the additional health benefits of yacon include its ability to regulate blood sugar levels, lower “bad” cholesterol, help with weight loss, lower blood pressure, improve the health of the liver, prevent certain types of cancer, boost digestive health, and strengthen the immune system.

Lauren and Ted sell the crowns but they also make a value-added syrup for sale. Their 1200 blueberry plants are u-pick from June through August. The MoonRidge farm store includes honey, teas, frozen berries and meats (goat, rabbit and chicken).

New to their operations in the past year, Lauren and Ted added 1300 lavender plants they dug up and transplanted from a neighboring farm that was going out of business. Soon they expect to add lavender oils, teas, and fresh cuttings.  Whether the farm continues with its high grade hemp production for CBD will be a test of time and market.

A Getaway That’s Not Too Far Away

But, the farm is not all crops and flowers. There are also goats, rabbits and chickens as well as the Buckner Creek with salmon and cutthroat trout. Hawks and wild bees, owls, and old growth dot the property. There are woods and meadows cut with trails, a grassy meadow and a labyrinth. One can interact with farm life as much as is rewarding and comfortable or retire to the comfortable 1901 renovated farm house with its open living/dining area with gas fireplace and views of the grounds. Overnights on the farm belie the fact this countryside retreat is only 35 minutes from the city of Portland.

A stay at MoonRidge offers peace and quiet. It also offers an introduction to a chosen path of food production that is not only good for the body and the soil, but good for the soul.

Check out the MoonRidge Farms listing here on Farm Stay USA, and then visit their booking page to start planning your stay!

(All photos provided courtesy of MoonRidge Farms)

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I had the pleasure of visiting Airlie Farms Bed and Breakfast and meeting the wonderful hostess Nancy Petterson. When I arrived she invited me in for coffee and one of her delicious homemade pear muffins as she prepared breakfast for her guests. “This has been the most delightful version of going to grandma’s house” one of the guests said as they were finishing up breakfast. I couldn’t agree more, Nancy is a kind, warm and welcoming woman that makes you feel right at home. As the breakfast ended and the guests began packing up their things I prepared for a memorable interview and farm tour with Nancy.

Nancy and her husband Joe purchased the 226 acre farm 23 years ago and have offered their home as a bed and breakfast for a little over eight years. Their remodeled 1910 farm house offers a comfortable and cozy, yet luxury, stay. Their working Quarter Horse farm sits on beautiful rolling hills with spectacular views across some of Oregon’s richest farm country. Nancy takes pride in and has over 60 years’ experience as a quarter horse breeder. She also enjoys gardening and canning fresh produce. Her hope is to start offering bread making or canning classes so guests have something to take home with them.

FARM STAY BED AND BREAKFAST

As I took my shoes off and stepped in the house I was welcomed by the Petterson’s friendly farm dog, Molly, who just wanted to be pet and have her belly rubbed. We were friends for the remainder of my visit.

With single, double, suite and family accommodations available, guests have many options from which to choose. Because the house is more tailored to adults and older children, the Pettersons recently completed the Airlie Family Cottage for families with young children.

Does waking up to grandmas homemade country style breakfast with freshly brewed coffee and your choice of frittata with cheese, potatoes, farm bacon and sausage, spiced peach parfait, scones, and fresh squeezed juice sound exactly how a vacation morning should be? Breakfast is served in the main house for all guests, large and small.

The Airlie Family Cottage is perfect for families with children and has basic cooking accommodations, refrigerator, and a loft that kids love.

Aside from the wonderful accommodations, there are 226 acres to explore and family friendly farm animals abound. From guided rides, lessons in the arena, playing with the goats and chickens, or gathering your own eggs, there is plenty to enjoy and experience right here on the farm.

After the interview, Nancy took me out on the Gator to tour the farm and, of course, Molly had to join us. From one of the goats putting my ear in its mouth as I was taking a photo of another, to Barney the donkey chasing after us for the hay in the back of the Gator, to enjoying the spectacular views from the top of the hill, I’d say I had quite the farm experience during my visit.

LOCAL ATTRACTIONS

If you decide to wander off the farm there are plenty of local attractions from which to choose. Airlie Farm sits in wine country so take a trip over to one of the vineyards for a bottle of wine and some tastings. Many hunters and judges stay as guests for the nearby Luckiamute Valley Pheasant hunting. Hunters and guests are welcome to bring dogs if they are leashed or in crates. There are also plenty of places to go hiking, fishing, birding, and visit covered bridges. Families with children may find themselves taking a short trip to Salem’s Riverfront Park or A.C. Gilbert’s Discovery Village to enjoy family-fun activities and a hands-on children’s museum with interactive exhibits.

GUESTS AND THE “GIFT OF HOSPITALITY”

In my short visit to Airlie Farm Bed and Breakfast I was able to appreciate what the guests had to say about their experience and how Nancy interacted with them. I don’t think one guest left without making sure they gave Nancy a hug and thanking her for a wonderful time and an amazing experience.

“You make us feel right at home.”

“She’s a great host.”

“You make people feel comfortable and relaxed.”

“We came downstairs and she’s making breakfast and then we look outside and she’s out driving the tractor (gator) around feeding the horses and animals. Nancy does it all.”

“I think I may move in here.”

“We’re packing up and then I’m giving you a big ol’ hug.”

“We miss you and this place already.”

My last question I asked Nancy was what she enjoyed most about the farm, Bed and Breakfast and living this lifestyle. She responded with “Well, I love it all. I thought the quarter horse business was my entire life until I went off with the B and B. I thought, why didn’t I start this out when I was 30, instead of 200. It’s wonderful. I love my horses, but I can’t be out there as much. Every guest is special.”

It was a great pleasure meeting Nancy, touring the farm and meeting the farm animals. Nancy truly has the “gift of hospitality” and if you have the chance to visit the beautiful state of Oregon I recommend a stay at Airlie Farm to experience it all for yourself.

For more information and reservations please visit Airlie Farm’s profile, the Airlie Farm Bed and Breakfast website or Booking and Questions.

Photo Credit: Airlie Farm, Anthony Mugica

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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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