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)

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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.

Fifteen years ago, Farm Stay USA launched with a big idea and a small website: to introduce Americans to the joy of staying overnight on a real working farm or ranch. But here’s the twist, when we showed up, we discovered something wonderful: many farm stays were already out there! They just weren’t called that yet. Some went by “farm vacations,” others by “working ranches” or “bed and breakfasts.”

Farm Stay USA gave these pioneers a home, a shared identity, and a place to be found by curious travelers. For others just getting started, we offered a framework, a sense of community, and a cheering section as they opened their gates to guests for the first time.

As part of our 15th anniversary celebration, we’re shining the spotlight on our 21 founding members. That’s a lot of inspiration to pack into one blog, so we’ve split their stories into four digestible parts.

We used a light-touch Q&A format to gather reflections, asking when and why they began hosting, what moments still stand out, what advice they’d give a new farmer-hoster, and how Farm Stay USA made a difference for them. In true farmer fashion, some followed instructions, some plowed their own path. And just like the farms themselves, no two answers are the same.

We’re starting this series with the mentors, those generous trailblazers who were welcoming guests long before “farm stay” was a buzzword. They laid the groundwork for everything that followed.

East Hill Farm in Troy NH started hosting guests in the mid 1940s. At the time it was a small dairy farm and the owner decided to add some lodging for extra income. He expanded the business over the years, adding animals and amenities until the farm became a year-round family resort. In the 1970s, the next generation took over the farm, adding educational aspects including raising rare breed animals, cow and goat milking for guests, horseback riding, and butter and cheese making workshops. Currently Jennifer Adams and her siblings, part of the 4th generation, run the farm. Generations run in guests as well with some families having come to the farm for over 50 years! As for favorite experience, Jen runs a Farm School program where the kids spend 3 days and 2 nights working with the animals and the farmers. She loves to watch them move through the steps from being tentative to confident and curious, knowing she is sending them home with a better understanding of what it takes to be a farmer. When it comes to Farmstay, the site gave the farm a place to list nationally and the opportunity within its community to be a mentor to others.

Liberty Hill Farm, run by Beth and Bob Kennett, is located in Rochester VT and has been a pioneer in the agritourism movement since opening its doors to guests in 1984. Their multi-decades-long commitment to sustainability was recognized in 2008 when the farm was designated as Vermont’s first certified Green Agritourism Enterprise. Guests from around the world have stayed at this 120-head dairy that is part of the Cabot Creamery Co-op. Beth cooks breakfast and dinner for guests, shared around the farm house table. At this point she counts repeat guests in generations and in friendships. With tours on top of stays, guests can watch the milking process and even try their hand at manual milking. Feeding the calves, playing in the hayloft, walking in the fields, and in fall visits for the leaf change are all part of the experience. Beth’s suggestions for farms considering agritourism: look at what you like to do and make sure hospitality can fit into your farming schedule. Break up the responsibilities so the load does not become too much and, if you are cooking, stick with your favorite recipes. For the Kennetts, Farm Stay USA was a place to be recognized as the quintessential New England farm and the barn was the masthead of the site for many years.

Grace Note Farm in Pascoag RI, also known as the Benjamin Smith homestead farm c. 1730, is nestled in the northwest corner of Rhode Island adjacent to the George Washington Management area. It is a horse farm and riders can enjoy over six hours of riding on wide, mostly sandy trails that connect to Connecticut and Massachusetts. The inn opened in 2001 after Virginia built stalls for guest horses. Two factors helped with this decision: Virginia’s son announced the farm should pay for itself and two guests from a horse club who just happened to pull into the driveway suggested she become a B&B. Since opening, Virginia has found that both grownups and kids love to wash the horses and, in terms of the children, they love the freedom to roam, to collect eggs with her in the morning, and to ride beside her in her 4×4. She would advise new farm stay operators to make sure they have a private space of their own to retreat to; that guests are strangers until  they have completed their first visit; and that the Internet is best for marketing. As far as Farmstay, she felt it gave her national exposure and credibility as a working farm with lodging, not just a vacation rental. Now in her 80s, Virginia is about to close the barn door on guests but the experience has been worth the effort for the people she has met and the lives she has touched.

Hull-O Farms in Durham NY has been in the Hull family since its 1779 post-Revolutionary War founding. The farm has been recognized and designated by New York State as a National Bicentennial Farm. Sherry and her husband, Frank, started hosting guests in June 1994. Back then they were milking 80 cows and struggling financially. They decided, encouraged by a friend, to offer a farm “vacation” option in a cottage that stood on the farm grounds. Another friend who worked for a cable station on Long Island ran a free ad for them about this new vacation opportunity. Within 30 minutes of the ad running, the phone started ringing. Sherry has never looked back. While Sherry handles the hospitality end, farmer Frank oversees guests interaction on the farm. Top of these is collecting eggs, hand-milking the cows, playing with the barn cats, and enjoying s’mores and music around the campfire. Their advice to new farm stay hosts: welcoming visitors can be a lot of work but also incredibly rewarding. You must genuinely love people and be okay with sharing your personal space, so be flexible and do your due diligence about all the ins and outs of a farm stay. As for a particularly memorable experience, three years after the farm stay opened, a very excited 10-year-old boy ran into Sherry’s kitchen and said with great enthusiasm “Ms Sherry, this may just be the best day of my life.” In the end, Farm Stay USA helped to raise awareness about the novelty of a farm vacation by adding more farms into the travel niche,  even acting as a resource for other options Sherry could point to when they were full.

Labour of Love Landscaping and Nurserv, owned by Kate  Glover started hosting guests in 1985. Her nursery in Glover VT is known as a “local destination”, offering more than the typical small nursery with the addition of display gardens, tours, lodging in a restored 1800’s Greek Revival home, and a gift and craft shop that includes 30 varieties of homemade jams and jellies (from local fruits) and handwoven apparel and home items. Almost on the Canadian border, the farm routinely hosts international visitors. Not your traditional ‘farm’, Kate, the owner, grower and designer, takes the idea of growing plants and puts them in a retail setting so they can go home with you, while offering ideas for your own landscaping. Landscaping and growing is all there in farming, just by a different name. When it comes to advice for new farms starting out, Kate focuses on making her place look like somewhere she would like to visit and of all her “chores” she enjoys answering questions from visitors. One of her favorite visits was from a 6-year-old who told his parents to let him stay at the nursery because he liked it better than home! Just as many come across the border as international travelers, so Farm Stay USA sends Kate visitors from far and wide to share her little piece of heaven.

These early hosts were the quiet pioneers, the ones offering fresh eggs with their morning coffee and handing over pitchforks to eager guests long before “farm stay” had a name. Their creativity, grit, and love of sharing farm life set the stage for everything that’s followed. Without them, there would be no Farm Stay USA. We’re endlessly grateful they opened their barn doors and hearts, giving this movement its roots.

We hope you’ll stick with us in the weeks ahead as we continue this celebratory journey.

Next up: a few of our amazing ranches who’ve been with us from the start, where the stars are big, the hats are wide, and the hospitality is just as heartfelt.

(Header photo courtesy of East Hill Farm NH)

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

Q: What is the history of your farm?

A: We started farming twenty-seven years ago, following in the footsteps of the family who farmed the land a century ago. In the 1840s, Scottish immigrants settled in the Catskills because the rolling hills reminded them of their homeland Scotland. Dutch immigrants joined the Scots and established homesteads and farms in the Kortright valley. In 1842, the McAuslan (Haynes) family settled in the valley and named the farm Appledorn which is the English version of the Dutch appeldoorn or Thornapple (which grow thickly on the hillsides). Our farm was one of the most successful cow dairies in the valley.

Q: What brought you to offer a farm stay?

A:  We moved from Brooklyn 27 years ago. We established the farm stay to supplement farm income and to ensure that our family had exposure and interaction with people of different race, religion, and ideas.

Q: What do you raise and produce on your farm?

A: We raise cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, poultry, rabbits on pasture. Our pasture raised meat, eggs, and value added products such as soup, pot pies, pates, sauces are offered on-farm and at farmers markets. We raise horses for pleasure, and we have six working guardian dogs on the premises.

Q: What is the setting of your farm like? Tell us a little about the area you live in?

A: Our farm is nestled in a valley in the foothills of the Catskill Mountains. The farm is on a quiet country road with two other farms. We’re located 20 minutes from Delhi and Oneonta, home of New York State University Colleges.

Q: What can guests do during their farm stay, either on or off the property?

A: We offer farm programs such as Tours, Chores, and Farmer for a Day (opens a PDF). We also offer field and farm workshops (opens a PDF). Farm stay guests may opt to participate in a guided tour of the farm and lend a hand with farm chores. Tour and Chores is 1 to 1½ hour program. Farm chores, depending on the season, may include collecting eggs, bottle feeding kid goats, feeding and watering chickens, rabbits and pigs, moving the sheep or dairy goats with the border collies or milking a goat. Tour and Chores is $60 per family (up to 4 persons).

Guests are also welcome to wander the farm, talk to the animals, splash in the stream, enjoy campfires, and soak in the beauty and quiet. Guests can bike and walk country roads, hike, swim and fish in State Parks and environmental centers.

Cooperstown, home to the Baseball Hall of Fame is 40 minutes away. Picturesque towns are within a half hour drive and are ideal for dining, shopping, cider and beer tasting.

Q: Tell us about your lodgings. Where do guests stay, and what amenities do you offer?

A: We have two lodgings – the Farmhouse Suite which occupies the lower half of the Greek Revival farmhouse. Decorated with antiques, it includes an attached library and living room. It has a private entrance and back yard with a fire pit, grill, patio table.

The Farmhand Cabin, located a ¼ mile from the farmhouse is situated in a private spot along the creek. Guests enjoy waking up to the sheep and horses grazing outside the cabin. The cabin has simple cooking facilities including a firepit and picnic table.

We provide farm check-in charcuterie boards, farm + table dinners, picnic baskets and breakfast bags.  The farmhouse suite has wifi.

Our thanks to Tom and Denise for this glimpse of their farm life. Visit the Stone & Thistle Farm listing on Farm Stay USA for more!

(All photos courtesy of Stone & Thistle Farm)

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This is what they told us…

1) When did you take up farming and what was your vision?

Todd grew up in a rural town on the North Shore of MA.  As a young child, he spent countless days at his neighbor’s farm sometimes helping with harvests and planting, and getting to interact with the goats, pigs, and geese.  These were fond memories for Todd, so when he was contemplating a career change, he began volunteering on a farm while taking a culinary program in Austin, TX.  He continued to work on farms after he moved back to New England.  He attended the University of Vermont Farmer Training Program for a summer, apprenticed at a large farm in Hamilton, MA, and managed an urban farm in Lowell for a season, before he and Suzy decided to purchase their own farm.

Suzy grew up in the suburbs of NYC, but always dreamed of living on a farm.  She spent her childhood days in New York riding and caring for her horse.  While attending university, Suzy studied animal science but changed paths, after college, and took a job at the zoo in Boston caring for exotic animals.  After working at the zoo, she became an agriculture volunteer in the Peace Corps where she taught the women in her village how to grow a small vegetable garden.  During her experience in the Peace Corps her daily meals included eating fresh cheese, homegrown beans, farm fresh eggs and other local foods.

We were both excited about the idea of having our own farm, growing our own food, and raising our children to appreciate where their food comes from.  We were also excited about the idea of sharing this experience with people who may be curious about life on a farm, but unable to spend more than a couple of days on a farm.

2) How did you come up with the name Fat Sheep Farm?

I wish I had a really good story as to how we came up with the name, but it’s really not that exciting. We wanted something fun and easy to remember. We also knew that we were not going to be a “traditional” farm (which you can easily determine that we are not at all traditional, when you arrive on the farm), so we did not want a “traditional” farm name.

One day my best friend and Todd were brainstorming names and one of them…we still don’t know the truth as to who said it first, but one of them threw out the name Fat Sheep Farm. We did some searching to see if there were any other Fat Sheep Farms in the world, and to our surprise, there was only one very small family farm out in Washington state that has the name (and unfortunately owns the domain name, as well). It didn’t take long before we committed to the name “Fat Sheep Farm”.

3) What are guests allowed to do on your farm?

While staying at Fat Sheep Farm, guests are invited to participate in morning animal chores all year round.  During the summer months, this includes feeding the goats and bringing them to pasture, milking the sheep and bringing them out to pasture, feeding the chickens and collecting the eggs.  During morning chores, guests can have all of their burning questions about farming answered.

All summer long, the sheep are often grazing right in front of the guest cabins.  You can sit in the Adirondack chair on your porch and watch the sheep graze.  Guests are also welcome to walk around the vegetable fields.  The animals return to the barn around 4pm each evening.  Guests enjoy walking through the barn and visiting with the animals in the evenings, as well.

In the spring when the lambs are born, guests can enjoy the opportunity to help socialize the lambs (aka lots of lamb hugs).  We also have a one mile trail through our woods and a half mile walk through our fields.  At night, guests are welcome to come sit around our fire pit and enjoy the sunset and s’mores.

4) I hear you offer workshops?

Once there is a Covid vaccine and travel becomes more normalized, the farm will once again offer cheese making and bread making workshops.

In the Basic Sourdough Bread Making workshop, guests learn the basics of how to work with sourdough and make, shape and bake their own dough for the perfect loaf.  Guests are even given dough to take back to their cabin to bake the following morning and starter to take home.

The Cheese Making workshop focuses on making cheese at home.  Guests are guided through the process of making fresh cheeses, such as Halloumi, Feta and Ricotta, or learn to make an aged cheese, such as Gouda. They are also instructed on how to create their own space for aging cheese at home.

5) With multiple guests on the farm at one time, since you have five cabins, what is that experience like for them?

All of our guests, big or small, are able to enjoy the farm experience at Fat Sheep Farm in their own time and their own way.  Guests usually have different motivations for staying with us. Some guests want to participate in chores once, while some want to join for chores everyday during their stay.  Other guests want to relax on their porch, take in the views, and take day trips to the surrounding area attractions.

We are always happy to help our guests plan their trips before their arrival and make further suggestions of things to do and places to eat while they are at the farm.  We encourage guests to contact us way ahead of time if they are interested in attending a workshop on the farm, so that we can plan accordingly.

6) Why do you offer farm stays?

Why do we offer farm stays…there are so many reasons! Many people have become so disconnected from the land and where the food comes from.  Our farm gives people the opportunity, whether it’s for one night, or annual week long visits, to disconnect from their screens, ask farming questions, snuggle a sheep, taste their first farm fresh egg, prepare a meal using produce from our farm, or learn a new skill like bread making or cheese making.

Whether guests are interested in the farm experience or just want a quiet place to rest their heads, everyone can appreciate the serenity of our farm and the magical views of the Vermont hills that everyone can enjoy from their cabin porch.

Find out more about Fat Sheep Farm at Farm Stay USA. We are happy to know them and to know their story. We hope you are too!

* * *

COVID-19 INFORMATION

• Please be aware of Vermont cross state travel information. Contact Fat Sheep Farm for more information or if you have questions.

• Demand Is High For Independent Units Now — Cancellations Are Posted to Facebook and Instagram — Check our Availability

• Fat Sheep Farm maintains our high standard for cleanliness, including sanitizing and disinfecting surfaces with EPA certified cleaners

• Fat Sheep Farm has Blueair Blue Pure 121 Air Purifiers in every cabin

• We offer a remote check-in and check-out process in order to limit person to person contact

• Enjoy the beauty of Vermont and our farm while easily following all social distancing guidelines

The post Fat Sheep Farm in Hartland, VT Offers Farm Life Up Close and Personal appeared first on Farmstay.

Taking on a farm as a second career always seems like a good idea from afar, especially if the farm is in North Carolina and you are in New York. Well, maybe that isn’t quite fair. John and Mina Piraino were looking for a slower, more sustainable lifestyle as empty nesters, and the thought of working outside appealed to John, a mechanical engineer by training. Two of their children already lived in Greenville SC, and it felt like everyone in the family was moving south.

Starting a new life as farmers

But, how does one go about finding a farm if you don’t inherit it? The Internet is a pretty good place to start. While the Pirainos first thought to look for land in Pennsylvania or Virginia, it was pricey, and nothing really called to them. Then, in 2017, East Fork Farm, in Marshall, North Carolina, just north of Asheville, came on the market. It was a turn-key operation (if farms are ever really turn-key), set up with both livestock production and farm stay lodging. They could do this. John and Mina bought the farm in July 2017 and moved in January of 2018 to start their new life as farmers.

East Fork Farm is a 40-acre property with 20 acres in pasture. It is highly scenic, set in the middle of the Blue Ridge mountains in western North Carolina, close to the Tennessee border. The Pirainos raise Angus cross cattle, Katahdin sheep, Red Ranger meat birds, egg layers (for egg production), trout (in their trout pond) and sometimes hogs. They also have a grist mill, driven by a waterwheel, for making corn meal. Where it is allowed, they butcher on site; for the larger animals a USDA facility is used. This way, product is sold directly through the on-farm store, online, and at the Asheville Tailgate (seasonal) Market.

Guests can enjoy a farm stay

In 2019 the Pirainos added an apprenticeship program for those interested in learning the ins and outs of farming, but not everyone wants to spend an entire growing season as day labor on a farm. The alternative to apprenticeships? Guests can enjoy a farm stay with the Pirainos, lending a hand or just watching from a distance. Of course, you can also just take in the scenery, go for a hike, or soak in the Japanese Ofuru soaking tub provided with your accommodations.

There are three options for overnight lodging: Meadow Branch cottage, a quaint cedar shake cottage built by the former owners in 2009; East Fork cottage, a former barn refurbished from top to bottom as a rental unit in 2010, and the Millhouse, tucked on the second floor of the fully functioning grist mill. All lodgings were handcrafted and detailed with care, are decorated with farm antiques, and come with a breakfast of complimentary fresh eggs, stone ground cornmeal and jelly from the farm. What’s not to love?

When asked what kind of comments they get from guests, John laughed. While often the beauty and scenery are mentioned, the two very friendly Great Pyrenees dogs, used to protect the livestock, are the favorites. We might have thought the soaking tubs, but then there is nothing like hanging out with large, fluffy white dogs while the sheep and cattle graze peacefully in the fields around you and the wind makes a song in the trees.

Check out the East Fork Farm listing here on Farm Stay USA and find yourself in the middle of the natural world, not such a bad place to be these days!

The post Hidden away in the Blue Ridge Mountains: East Fork Farm, Marshall, North Carolina appeared first on Farmstay.

“Everything we eat has a story. Know what you eat.”
– from the Toddy Pond farm website

The story of Toddy Pond Farm in Monroe, Maine is not one of 2^nd, 3^rd, or 4^th generation farmers continuing in the family tradition. This is the story of ‘new’ farmers, Greg and Heide Purinton-Brown, who decided food and how it is grown was important to them and something they wanted to pursue. So, in 2014 Greg quit his 9 to 5 desk job and Heide, who had been homeschooling their two sons, switched gears to farming.

Flourishing Pastures

Originally planning to be caretakers of an existing farm in Monroe ME just to get their feet wet, they ended up buying it! Toddy Pond Farm, on the banks of Toddy Pond, is a 520-acre property with 30 acres of pasture used now for their cows, sheep, pigs, chickens, and bees. In just a few years, they were able to improve and provide permanent pasture for their livestock with rotational grazing. They don’t irrigate or fertilize their pastures because this would require the use of large amounts of fossil fuel. They don’t till the soil which would release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. They plant clover for their bees. The pastures are flourishing with grasses up to the bellies of the cows.

Humane Dairy Farming

What is even more impressive about their operation is that the Purinton-Browns decided to enter the dairy business, one of the most challenging areas of farming! If you’re going to go down this risky path these days, you need to have a niche. Coming from a background as a vegetarian and an OB nurse before she became a farmer, Heide had a keen passion to make sure her livestock was treated humanely, and the way nature intended. So, unlike most dairies, the farm keeps calves with their mothers for their strong emotional bond, and the cows are only milked once a day.

Milking once a day had additional benefits these farmers wanted in their finished products. The full-fat Jersey milk, higher in protein and fat than from cows milked twice a day, made for a wonderful tasting yogurt, now the farm’s signature product. Offered in plain and vanilla flavors, the Toddy Pond label can be found not only at their farmers market stand and at their on-farm store, but also in local groceries. Of course, there are other products to find at their on-farm store: packaged meats, from ground lamb to pork sausage, kefir, eggs, honey, and ice cream in season.

An Idyllic Getaway

Does all of this make you want to stay at Toddy Pond Farm to get a better feel of farm life…and how taste is grown and finished? Or maybe just kick back at your own private farm retreat in the middle of 500 acres with cows and sheep grazing off the porch, grab a kayak for the pond or hike the many trails through the woods?

Toddy Pond offers the quintessential week-long farm stay in the summer, when the farm is in top production, and three-day stays for the shoulder seasons. Guests stay in a gorgeous, fully restored 4-bedroom cottage that sleeps 7, has a large kitchen, living room, 2 bathrooms, and screened in porch.  It’s the perfect place for an unplugged vacation.

Check out the Toddy Pond Farm listing here on Farm Stay USA… then book a stay and make your own story!

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Rêves de Moutons translates roughly to “the dreams of the sheep” or “sheep dreams”, which sounds a lot like sweet dreams, which becomes reality when you find you can stay on a sheep farm in the heart of Paso Robles wine country!

Meet Evan and Kristy Bishop – a lovely young couple who opened their Inn, farm, and fromagerie in 2014, following their own dream to create a place where they might ultimately retire, but while still young could enjoy a region of their choice and be productive participants in the landscape and community.

Evan and Kristy raise sheep and goats for milk, cheese, meat, and wool. They are working to become a certified dairy (hopefully by spring), and then will be able to sell their cheese to their lucky guests.

Evan spent summers at the family dairy in Maine and is a photographer by trade; Kristy was in the health industry until the couple settled down to make their way on the farm.

Best of all, rather than keep their beautiful farm to themselves, they decided to open an inn for guests! Here you can stay in luxury retro style campers with plush queen sized beds and fully equipped kitchens, as well as an intimate community courtyard for hosting a group retreat or meeting the other guests. If you prefer, there are two rooms in the farm house shared with the Bishops.

Daily farm tours and meet and greets with the flock of sheep and goats allows guest to get the farm experience without having to muck out the pens! Or, if guests want the full hands-on experience, that can happen too. Evan is happy for the help with the feeding and the milking, and Kristy will hand you an extra muck rake if you are willing.

Pricing starts at $149 per night in the glamping trailers, identified as Bliss, Harmony, and Joy. Or rent all three for a family reunion or holiday with friends for $349. The two rooms in the farm house are available on Airbnb (search for Rêves de Moutons) for $129 per night, and these include breakfast.

The lodging is bordered by a vineyard on one side and the farm’s livestock on the other. Use the farm as a base camp for all there is to do and see in the area. It’s a quiet retreat from the hustle and bustle of life and you might just find that you don’t go anywhere but fall into the gentle rhythm of the countryside with a glass of wine and a good book!

For more information, check out the Rêves de Moutons listing here at Farm Stay USA, or visit them on their website, Facebook, or Instagram (a must follow, for more of these gorgeous photos)!

All photos courtesy Rêves de Moutons.

The post Rêves de Moutons in Paso Robles, California appeared first on Farmstay.

This post first appeared on Kim Goodling’s blog at http://www.livingwithgotlands.com/. Kim is shepherdess to a flock of Gotlands, the curly sheep from Sweden. She invites farm stay guests to experience rural living, sheep, and fiber art at her farm in Vermont. See her Farm Stay U.S. listing at Vermont Grand View Farm or visit her website.

We thought with all the challenging weather happening across the country right now, a post on how sheep can survive such cold temps would be interesting… enjoy!

I am often asked how my sheep can survive the harsh Vermont winter weather. Temperatures in our area often hover in the single digits with spells well below zero at times. Snow piles high around the barn, and cold winds blow frequently. With proper shelter and feed, our sheep have no difficulty with these winter conditions and cold temperatures.

Proper Housing

Visitors to our farm often think that a closed barn provides the best place for our livestock in the winter. In fact, that is the last thing that they need. Being shut in a barn, causes a build up of moisture and ammonia in the air, irritating their respiratory tract and causing infection. Sheep stay much healthier if they have access to sun and fresh air every day.

The thermometer registered 15 degrees below zero this morning, with wind chills between 40-60 degrees below zero. On days like this, our barn door remains open for the sheep to come and go as they please. The barn offers protection from the bitter wind, but certainly not much protection from the cold. This morning, all the sheep, as well as the llama, were hunkered down in the barn. With the gusty wind, we fed them their hay in the barn so they did not have to brave the subzero wind chill to eat breakfast. We also have a three sided shelter which provides a wind break for them. The sun shines into the shelter all day, giving the sheep a place out doors, with protection from the wind, without having to be inside the barn.

Warm From the Outside In

Sheep have their own natural source of insulation all over their bodies. Their wool keeps their body heat in and the cold out. That is why you will see sheep with snow piled on their backs; their body heat does not reach the outer layers of their fleece to melt the snow. The lanolin in their wool also prevents moisture from getting to their skin. When doing chores, if my hands get cold, I will take off my mittens and bury my hands in the wool on one of the ewes to get warm.

Warm From the Inside Out

We do give the sheep lots of second cut hay during the winter to eat. Due to the fermentation of fibrous matter, the rumination process actually creates a great deal of heat. This warms the sheep from the inside out, thus the need for good quality hay throughout winter months. The more sheep eat, the more heat they produce. A pregnant ewe will also have added heat from the lamb growing inside of her. The shepherd may provide added energy to their diet during extreme cold weather. We give warm molasses water when the temps dip in the single digits for added energy.

With shelter from the wind and proper nutrition-our sheep stay healthy and happy all winter.

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