Try this Family Adventure – Stay on a Farm

Scottie Jones — Sat, 23 Nov 2024 05:23:53 +0000

Did you know that fewer than 2% of Americans have lived on a farm since the 1950s? The other 98% of us have missed the deeply organic experience of waking up to the rooster’s crow and don’t even know it. While many who grew up on farms left for financial reasons, it wasn’t often because they disliked the landscape. For them, the farm would continue to hold cherished memories, growing sweeter with time. Today, a new generation of farmers is eager to replicate this grounding lifestyle for their own children. Some grounding in the ground, as it were. They are, indeed, the lucky ones.

For urban families planning their next vacation, a trip to the farm might not seem as thrilling as a visit to Disneyland or as relaxing as a week at the beach. Sure a farm stay may be easier on the budget, but will the kids enjoy it – or end up bored? And, if the kids aren’t having fun, does that mean parents will regret the choice?

Actually, a farm stay could be the family getaway you didn’t know you all needed.

Verdant View Farm in Paradise PA

Picture this: you arrive at the farm, only to find yourself herding sheep with your car. The farmer greets you with a smile and a request – step out with the kids and stretch your arms wide to guide the sheep back through the hole in the fence. Within moments, you’re in the middle of the action, and the kids are already hooked.

Suddenly, the tablets and phones the kids were glued to during the drive are forgotten in the backseat. There’s more to do here, like collecting eggs from the chicken coop – eggs that can be cooked for breakfast (says the kid who never eats eggs). Chores become part of the farm experience: feeding hay to the livestock, filling the water tanks, helping to dig potatoes, sweeping the barn, and more. It’s as if chore time is somehow different from washing the dishes and picking up dirty clothes off the floor at home. “Time for chores!” and the kids are already pulling on their boots.

No, no one is bored.

It’s almost like traveling to a foreign land when many farm stays are only hours from home. Children delight in the unexpected. The sights and smells are new. Fresh cut hay. Cows being milked by machines. Gardens with row after row of vegetables. Tractors rumbling by. Waving fields of grain or corn so tall it seems to touch the sky. Friendly goats that chew on anything. Nights that seem so quiet, yet alive with unfamiliar sounds and movement. Skies filled with stars. By bedtime, the kids are exhausted, their adventures replayed over dinner and drawn into pictures, to be brought home or tacked to the refrigerator with all the others.

These days we tell a story of two worlds: the natural world and the digital world. They are so very different in their impact. Maybe this is when we need to take a breath literally and offer our kids something more real and grounded as a balance. Connection to the food they eat, connection to the people who grow it, an immersive experience that enriches their understanding of the world around them and the ground they stand on. It could do us grown-ups some good too.

Time to plan a farm stay for your next vacation. While not all farms allow kids, most do, so check Yes on the filter that says Kids Allowed as you search the Farmstay site for this and all the activities you are looking for.

Knee deep in sheep, Owens Farm Sunbury, PA

And, lest you think kids get all the fun, adults (with or without children) may find the experience brilliantly refreshing, so much so it becomes a regular weekend in the country. Let’s go herd sheep!

Authors Note: From the photos is looks like we all need to go to Pennsylvania but there are wonderful farms all over the U.S. It was just serendipity that these two photos really seemed to fit the story line.

The post Try this Family Adventure – Stay on a Farm 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).

Stony Creek Farmstead, Walton, NY | FarmStay USA

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)