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.

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.

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.

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The Evolution of a Farm Stay

Though it’s been a Vacation Rental destination in Texas since 2010, the 172 acre farm on the San Gabriel River wasn’t always a Farm Stay. It began in 1968 as a family farm of 112 scenic acres of bluffs, live oaks, river front and breathtaking views.  Sheron’s parents built their dream home there, and an artist’s studio for Sheron’s mother- the renowned painter, and favorite of President Lyndon B. Johnson, C.P. Montague.

Sheron has said that if her mother could dream it, her father could build it.  Only Sheron and her husband accepted the offer from her parents of a share of the farm, and the trajectory of the future of Scurlock Farms was set in motion.  

Over many years, Dan and Sheron bought more of the farm, built their own dream home and raised their own children.  When Sheron’s mother passed, they decided to share the remarkable spaces, the beautiful views and enormous history of the original house and artist’s studio with family, friends, and members of their community. After 20 years of sharing these spaces, they decided to make it official, and turn them into permanent vacation rentals.  They now have had visitors from all 50 states and 23 different countries!!  Though a silver award winning “Best of Georgetown” vacation destination, they still commit to the good works they began with and often use the property to host fund raisers for The Caring Place and other charities, host Girl Scout campouts and have coordinated a meal program to provide food to shut-ins, the sick, and the homeless.

Welcoming Homes

There are two welcoming homes at Scurlock farms fully furnished and ready for your visit.  The Palette Pad is C.P. Montague’s artist’s studio. It was built by hand by Sheron’s father, and, as you might imagine, is full of huge windows and is surrounded by incredible views. The original home, now named the Rocky Overlook, was planned and built by Sheron’s parents with their own hands.

Experiential Family Fun

Scurlock Farms offers a wide variety of Farm Stay experiences.  You can enjoy a peaceful romantic getaway, a weekend of fishing and tubing on the San Gabriel River, a fossil and rock hunting or bird-watching adventure, or an authentic farm stay complete with farm animals and tractor rides.  It is 30 minutes from Austin and only 10 minutes from Georgetown and can act as a central location to adventures off the farm.  For those that want an immersive farm experience, you can tour the property with the owners on a Polaris, stroll through the 20-acre pecan orchard, or help with the farm chores if you like. 

Kids are welcome at Scurlock farms and the adventure opportunities are nearly endless.  Looking for arrowheads and fossils, gathering eggs, playing with the farm cats and baby goats, hiking the 172 acres of beautiful Texas countryside, or riding in a tractor, learning to make jelly, or helping rake the hay.  No matter the adventure path you take, at the end of the day, skipping rocks on the river, and roasting some marshmallows on the patio fire pit can’t be beat.  

Last summer, the Scurlocks grew 600# of tomatoes and hundreds of pounds of squash, zucchini, peppers, cucumbers and more.  They realized they couldn’t consume all of it before starting the spring gardens, so in October they opened a farm stand at the farm entry gate. They told us that it has been a great success, with many repeat guests each week enjoying freshly canned salsas, jellies, jams, veggies, pickles, homemade breads, baked goods, and free-range chicken eggs. Many have commented they have not had homemade jellies since they were at home and they’re reminded of their grandmothers. The Scurlocks say it’s been a wonderful way to meet neighbors they didn’t yet know!

Visit the Scurlock Farms listing on Farm Stay USA and start planning your Texas farm stay experience!

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