If you’ve ever fantasized about the ‘simple life’, then one (or all) of these memoirs, by (mostly) romantic urbanites who found themselves farming, is a must read. These honest, often funny, sometimes sad, eye-opening, can we say laugh-out-loud, stories about life on the farm could be placed in the ‘cautionary tale’ column of one’s life choices, but just as easily in the ‘grounded life’ column as well.

While the first ‘farmoir’ of note, Betty MacDonald’s The Egg and I, came out right at the end of World War II (1945) and is worth the read, we have chosen books written more recently and relatable to the 21st century romanticized concept of farm life, by those who never had to milk the cow before school. There’s a lot of good-to-know info here, written by people who used to be just like us (city folk), until they became farmers.

Driving Over Lemons: An Optimist in Spain (Pantheon Books/Random House, 2000) by Chris Stewart

Imagine being an adventurous travel writer far from home when you find the perfect place to move your family – an isolated sheep farm in the Alpujarra Mountains of Andalucia Spain. Except you forgot to ask your wife! Chris and Ana Stewart make it work despite the lack of running water, electricity, or an access road to start. In the end they build an enviable life that includes a child and dogs, in a country far from home.

Excerpt: “I had bought a farm that I would have hardly dared look at over the fence before. In a matter of minutes I was transformed from an itinerant sheep-shearer and tenant of a tied cottage beneath an airport landing path in Sussex, into the owner of a mountain farm in Andalucía. This would take some getting used to.”

Hit by a Farm: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Barn (DeCapo Press, 2009) by Catherine Friend.

Getting ‘back to the land’ is not as easy as it sounds. After agreeing to leave her more comfy writer’s life in Minneapolis, Catherine finds herself getting a crash course in farm life, a lifelong dream of her partner’s…not hers. Often hilarious, often thoughtful, it’s here that Catherine learns about living on the land, raising livestock, negotiating everything with her partner – from tractor purchases to hauling her out of the mud – and, in the end, understanding the how’s and why’s of love, land, and yes, sheep sex.

Excerpt: “Farms have fences. People have boundaries. Mine began crumbling the day I knelt behind a male sheep, reached between his legs, and squeezed his testicles … Janet, the instructor of this course on raising sheep, had indicated it was my turn. ‘Grab his testicles here, around the widest part.’ Right, no problem. At that very moment all my friends were attending a writing conference. They were warm, clean, and not feeling up a ram with sixteen-inch testicles … Wincing, I reached between the ram’s back legs with my thumb and forefinger. ‘Don’t pinch him,’ Janet cried.”

The Dirty Life: On Farming, Food, and Love (Scribner, 2010) by Kristin Kimball

Kristin Kimball was a writer in New York City when she interviewed a young farmer who swept her off her feet and up to a 500 acre farm in upstate New York. Growing up, her family had not even had a garden. The plan was to grow everything needed to feed a community, a “whole diet”—beef, pork, chicken, milk, eggs, maple syrup, grains, flours, dried beans, herbs, fruits, and forty different vegetables. Kristin’s story recounts the first year at Essex Farm from hardships to her inventive recipes for items the community didn’t want to eat (spoiler alert – visceral). Commitment comes in the form of a man, a community, and a piece of land.

Excerpt:  “As much as you transform the land by farming, farming transforms you… This book is the story of the two love affairs that interrupted the trajectory of my life: one with farming—that dirty, concupiscent art—and the other with a complicated and exasperating farmer.”

The Bucolic Plague: How Two Manhattanites Became Gentlemen Farmers (Harper Collins, 2011) by Josh Kilmer-Purcell

Josh worked in advertising and as a drag queen in New York City before he and his husband, Dr. Brent Ridge, a physician at Mount Sinai Hospital and vice president of Healthy Living at Martha Stewart Omnimedia, bought a 200-year-old historic mansion and goat farm in Sharon Springs NY. Commuting back and forth from city to countryside was not easy with a house and farm in disrepair, but they found help in the community and opportunity in the production, starting with goats milk soap. With a flair for drama in the writing, there are some pretty funny farm experiences as a full fledged lifestyle brand is created in front of our eyes.

Excerpt: “Don’t panic,” Brent said, “but there’s a huge spider on your shoulder.” Not panicking seemed like the least pragmatic reaction under the circumstances. So I went ahead and panicked with unabashed exuberance. Limbs flailed. My head hit the passenger-side window. My waving hands nearly shifted the rental car into reverse at 65 mph. “Is it gone?!” I screamed. “For the moment,” Brent answered calmly, rationally, predictably Brent-like. “But it’s still in here somewhere.”

50 Acres and A Poodle: A Story of Love, Livestock, and Finding Myself on a Farm (Bantam, 2002), by Jeanne Marie Laskas

Jeanne Marie Laskas writes a funny and poignant memoir about her first year on Sweetwater Farm in Pennsylvania. She is joined by her boyfriend, Alex and his poodle, Marley, both of whom know as little about the countryside as she. Along the way, she is helped by neighbors and locals who take pity on her and help her with everything from clearing her land of brambles to advising on the purchase of a mule. In the end, there is wisdom to gain about life, love, and finding your true self on a farm. Plus, the locals get used to the poodle.

Excerpt: “And so this is how I ended up, at thirty-seven years old, at 136 South Eleventh Street, the last house on the right. I spent my days writing stories and magazine articles. I had a garden, a cat, a dog, a good life. And I had a farm dream, a song I couldn’t get out of my head.”

Chickens in the Road: An Adventure in Ordinary Splendor (Harper Collins, 2013) by Suzanne McMinn

Suzanne McMinn was a successful romance novelist when she moved with her children from the suburbs of DC to a 40 acre farm in rural West Virginia, close to where she had spent summers on her grandfather’s farm. Already a writer, she started a blog about her adventures and misadventures on the farm and built a huge following that hung on every new event and acted as her remote support network. From hilarious animals to ornery neighbors, Suzanne created a home for her kids that was more authentic on the farm and in a small community than she could have imagined. It was just what she sought. She also found herself becoming a recipe maven, a number of which have made it into her book. Delightful to read, funny, heartfelt. A must read to get your ‘county’ on.

Excerpt: “It was a cold late autumn day when I brought my children to live in rural West Virginia. The farmhouse was one hundred years old, there was already snow on the ground, and the heat was sparse–as was the insulation. The floors weren’t even, either. My then-twelve-year-old son walked in the door and said, “You’ve brought us to this slanted little house to die.”

Country Grit, A Farmoir of Finding Purpose and Love (Skyhorse Publishing, 2017) by Scottie Jones

What happens when midlife becomes a thing, you live in the Arizona desert, and your husband is tracking water and cooler temperatures up to a farm in Oregon? You sign on for the adventure and pack up the kids, the dogs, the cat, and the horses and head north – a modern version of the Oregon Trail folks with about as much knowledge of what lies ahead as they had. Follow the Jones family as they learn about sheep and predators, about chickens and predators, about run-down farm equipment, and about what it takes to be a true small farm. Told in vignettes, there is humor, there is heartache, and there are neighbors to help. The farm also offers one of the first farm stays in the country – a chance for guests to experience farm life without buying the farm  (Editor Note: This is my farm and I wrote this book)

Excerpt: “The farm itself was ‘free range.’ Not by intent but by default. Chickens and sheep went where they pleased, much to the consternation of our dogs, who were now either locked up or leashed. We made a mental note that fence repair would be among our first priorities. While sheep roamed, our horses hovered at the barn. They were in danger of dehydrating less than one hundred feet from a stream. Being desert horses, they had never heard rushing water and were terrified by it.”

Other: notable mentions

Confessions of a Counterfeit Farm Girl: A Memoir (Penguin Publishing Group, 2008) by Susan McCorkindale

Dirty Chick: Adventures of an Unlikely Farmer (Avery, 2015) by Antonia Murphy

Flat Broke with Two Goats (Sourcebooks, 2018) by Jennifer McGaha

Honey Farm Dreaming (2018, CapeAble Publishing) by Anna Featherstone

Mud Season: How One Woman’s Dream of Moving to Vermont…Pretty Much Led to One Calamity After Another (2013, Countryman Press) by Ellen Stimson

One Woman Farm: My Life Shared with Sheep, Pigs, Chickens, Goats, and a Fine Fiddle (2013, Storey Publishing) by Jenna Woginrich

Rurally Screwed (Berkley Publishing, 2012) by Jessie Knadler

The New Farm: Our Ten Years on the Front Lines of the Good Food Revolution (2015, Random House Canada) by Brent Preston

The Rural Life (Little Brown & Co, 2002) by Verlyn Klinkenborg

The Shepherd’s Life: Modern Dispatches from an Ancient Landscape (Flatiron Books, 2016) by James Rebanks

In the end, you will find these stories have common themes. Told with self-mocking humor at the naïveté of new farmers, the anecdotes may differ just as the landscapes, but the stories of life on the farm and the community that supports it are as timeless as Shakespeare’s motifs.

Some of these books offer a more in-depth look at the social and economic forces driving farming these days, but all speak to the entrepreneurial nature required to sustainably manage a farm, be it a CSA, goats milk soap, or a farm stay.

Once you see the farm through the lens of these authors, we hope you will then want to try a farm stay for the complete experience because, honestly, they  aren’t making this stuff up – livestock always escape and  wildlife gobble up gardens, but a tomato picked right off the vine is to die for.

Editor’s Note: Many of the author’s above have written follow-up books. The ones chosen here are primarily about those first (‘did I make a mistake’) years on the farm.

The post The Joy of a Good Farmoir: Farm Life Revealed appeared first on Farmstay.

Whether you’re a nature enthusiast, a creative soul, or simply seeking relaxation, a farm stay has something for everyone. Remember that each farm is unique, offering different experiences. Inquire with the farmer on what is offered before you visit!

Immerse Yourself In Farm Life

• Snuggle up with adorable baby animals like goats, lambs, and piglets!
• Collect eggs and treat yourself to a fresh farm breakfast
• Join the farmer in their daily chores, from feeding the animals to milking cows, sheep, or goats
• Spend some quality time with horses, brushing and braiding their manes and forming a special bond
• Get your hands dirty and help the farmer with harvesting produce fresh from the garden
• Pick fresh berries and try to get more in the bowl than in your mouth
• Test your plant knowledge by identifying the various greens growing in the greenhouse
• Team up with the shepherd or cowboy and learn about herding with dogs
• Hop on a tractor ride if they offer one, and enjoy the scenic views of the farm
• Explore the farm store for unique items you won’t find on Amazon

Nurture Your Creativity

• Create beautiful bookmarks or picture frame decorations by pressing flowers or leaves you find on the farm
• Make a lovely bouquet of wildflowers and get creative with a hair wreath too!
• Bring a musical instrument along and play in different spots around the farm – by the campfire, in the barn with the animals, or on the front porch
• Cook up a delicious meal using ingredients sourced directly from the farm
• Don’t forget your camera! Capture the diverse flora and fauna you encounter during your farm adventure
• Unleash your artistic side and sketch your favorite scenes from your stay – try landscapes, still life, or even a portrait of your favorite travel partner
• Let your imagination run wild and build a charming fairy house using rocks, sticks, moss, and leaves. Hide it in plain sight for the next guests to discover
• Get artsy and paint a rock with a special message, then hide it just like the fairy house
• Document your farm experiences either in a personal journal or share them with your host in their guestbook
• Make the most of any classes or workshops offered on the farm – it’s a great way to learn a new skill to bring home with you

Relax and Recharge

• Get lost in a new book during your stay and leave one for the next guest to discover and enjoy
• Treat yourself to a glass of wine and unwind while watching the sunset
• Embrace the early morning mood, brew some coffee or tea, and catch the magical sunrise from your porch
• Take some time to meditate and fully immerse yourself in the farm’s natural surroundings, engaging all your senses
• Put pen to paper and write a letter to a friend or family member
• Take a leisurely afternoon nap on a cozy hammock, or if you’re feeling tired, just take a nap anywhere you please!
• Indulge in the joy of an outdoor shower or bath – if your farm has a pool, even better!
• Experience the cozy charm of a campfire and enjoy a wonderful evening fireside
• Try out traditional yoga or, for a fun twist, attempt some downward dog poses with a friendly goat as your partner!
• Experience Earthing by getting involved in planting or simply strolling barefoot around the farm. Just be mindful of where you step!

Embrace Outdoor Adventure

• Take a refreshing dip and go for a swim in a nearby pond, river, or lake
• Saddle up and go for a horseback ride
• Enjoy a leisurely walk, scouting for the perfect spot to have a picnic
• Set out on a scenic bike ride, exploring the charming country roads nearby
• Feel the wind in your hair and go for an invigorating run amidst the beauty of the countryside
• Grab a kayak or canoe and have a great time paddling on a nearby pond, river, or lake
• Bring along a pair of binoculars to observe the diversity of wildlife. You can use the free Merlin app to identify birds by their song and iNaturalist, National Geographic’s app, to identify plants and wildlife
• End your day with a stargazing session. The free Sky Guide app will help you find and learn about your favorite constellations!
• Explore the farm’s trails on foot and take in your surroundings
• If fishing is your thing, have some catch-and-release fun – or catch and cook your own meal!

Unleash Your Playful Side

• Play a game of horseshoes, bocce ball, cornhole, croquet, badminton, or any other outdoor games you love!
• Fly a kite high up in the farm’s open sky
• Perfect your stone-skipping skills by creating ripples across the nearby pond or river
• Play a fun round of “I Spy” and see what exciting things you can spot around the farm
• Listen for the night sounds on the farm and try to identify them
• Not just counting sheep before sleep, but counting the real sheep on the farm – they’re adorable!
• Catch fireflies, marvel at their glowing magic, and then set them free to light up the night
• Create an exciting scavenger hunt and let the adventure lead you all around the farm
• Relive your childhood days and enjoy a game of tag or a thrilling game of hide and seek
• Splash around in the mud on a rainy day – sometimes, the simplest joys are the best! (We think we’ve run out of ideas. lol)

The post 50 Ways To Experience Farm Life This Summer appeared first on Farmstay.

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My Stay at A Vermont Farm Bed & Breakfast: Liberty Hill Farm & Inn in Rochester, VT

Originally posted on SVADORE in November, 2022.
Excerpt reposted with permission.

Beth and Bob from Liberty Hill Farm & Inn provide a public service that big agricultural farms cannot provide. An experience for the public that creates memories and forms gratitude around the table. That’s why a stay at Liberty Hill Farm is not just a stay at a Vermont arm bed & breakfast – it’s a life-changing experience.

As we near Thanksgiving, I thought it would be fitting for me to write this article that touches on the matter of food, gratitude, and connecting with people. Food is what brings community to the table. There is no greater way to nourish the body and the soul than through the communal and universal act of eating and sharing a meal with others. That’s what the Vermont Farm Bed & Breakfast Liberty Hill Farm & Inn, owned by Beth and Bob Kennett, brings to people. It endeavors to nurture relationships among people from different walks of life who are looking to further educate themselves on the farming industry.

I’ve always been fascinated by farming. It may sound strange, but there is something about returning to the simplicity and traditional way of life that charmed me. I had stayed at farm stays in Norway, Italy and other places around the world, but none of them actually took it to the level of education of farming on a day-to-day basis in that area. It wasn’t until I watched Clarkson’s Farm, featuring one of my favorite reality stars Jeremy Clarkson from The Grand Tour and previously Top Gear, that I realized the time, money, and effort that went into maintaining this traditional practice that feeds us all. That’s when a sense of gratitude first sparked within me for this unthought of industry.

Here is a stat that will give you pause: If 12% of farmers are producing 90% of the food, you can bet the other 88%, like Beth and Bob, are not profitable. That’s why it’s important for you to stay on the farm. Small farms like Liberty Hill Farm & Inn support an American heritage, the small family farm, without raising taxes or food prices. They also provide an experience for the public that creates memories. This is not a hotel–it’s a farm. Beth and Bob are just letting guests visit their lives for a little while. These farm stays offer home cooked meals, community and real farm life experiences.

If you’re looking to escape your iPhones, Androids, TVs to a more organic world, than a Vermont Farm bed & breakfast stay is for you. It brings you back to a much simpler time and connects you with people you otherwise may not have met. My experience at Liberty Hill Farm & Inn will be recounted in the form of short chapters. Each chapter revolves around Beth’s homemade (and renowned) meals we shared with her and other guests at Liberty Hill Farm & Inn, each with a lesson and moment of reflection.

Chapter 1: A Dane, A Frenchman, A Latina, An Italian, and An American Go To Dinner

Meal: Almond maple chicken, wild rice, carrot souffle (a big hit and super soft and creamy), swiss chard (the last of the harvest), broccoli and brussel sprouts, and warm, soft and buttery cheddar biscuits topped with a layer of Cabot butter.

Liberty Hill Farm & Inn’s historic farm is located in the heart of Rochester in the White River Valley of Vermont. It’s October when I visit and the color of the trees are slowly dimming as winter approaches, but the farm is still very much alive. Cows graze the fields with the Green Mountains in the background. This 240-acre farm has an undeniable charm. The property’s buildings, including a main house and various farm houses, all have a Vermont country feel of days gone by. We pull up to the front of the main house and get out just in time for dinner.

We sat down at the table seated for 8 at 6PM sharp. Ok…we were a couple of minutes late, but gosh did we feel bad about it! The owners and our hosts, Beth and Bob Kennett, led us in grace and the experience and conversation commenced. We weren’t the only guests at Liberty Hill Farm. Tonight there were 2 other couples staying at the property. One couple was from LA – he was Danish and she was Latina. She worked with special ed kids, he owned his own environmental sustainability tech company. How did they end up here? They took a van trip across the US last summer and fell in love with the beauty of Vermont. They decided to come back and ended up at this Vermont Farm bed & breakfast.

The other couple was older and lived in New Hampshire, but were originally from Maine. They were reoccurring guests who had visited the farm on multiple occasions and were close friends of the owners and our hosts Beth and Bob Kennett. He was the man who invented Hannaford’s Guiding Stars for Health program. What I learned most from them though was about Vermont’s huge French influence. I had never put the pieces together, but it all made sense now. The French town names, the amazing food, the even more amazing French food I’ve experienced in the State. But why?

The conversation came about as we were talking about genealogy and where each of us came from. The man from New Hampshire, originally Maine, went onto explain that his last name was originally French, but his ancestors had changed it to sound American because the French were being persecuted (specifically the Acadians or Canadian French) back in the early 1900s. Beth’s family had a similar experience. Her family who lived in Nova Scotia was also French, but was kicked out and had to change their name so they wouldn’t be banished. It was a common occurrence for French people to change their last names while in America to evade being kicked out.

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To finish reading the rest of the story, please visit: My Stay at A Vermont Farm Bed & Breakfast: Liberty Hill Farm & Inn in Rochester, VT (it’s totally worth the click!)

Thank you, Sveva, for letting us share!

The post My Stay at a Vermont Farm Bed & Breakfast by Sveva Marcangeli appeared first on Farmstay.

Q: What is the history of your farm?

A: Our farm came to be twenty three years ago on a nine-acre plot of bare ground. My husband Gene and I built our home and barn, and raised five children and many chickens, cows, sheep, pigs, dogs, and cats along the way. Now we have the privilege of showing our grandchildren the joys of farm life, opening their eyes to how food is not just something the store pops on the shelf. Food is something that you can grow and nurture to maturity, be it a crop of carrots or a flock of egg-laying chickens!

Our thanks to Julie and Gene for sharing their farm’s vision with us. Visit the Blooming Joy Farm listing on Farm Stay USA to read more and book your next Montana vacation!

(All photos courtesy of Blooming Joy Farm)

The post Joy Blooms in Montana appeared first on Farmstay.

David and Caroline Owens bought their first farm in 1992 in Pelham, NH as a place to raise their kids and grow their own food. Caroline was a former vocational agriculture teacher with a degree from Cornell now working for a feed company; David was a biomedical  engineer with a degree from Boston University. Soon enough, friends and neighbors were asking to buy meat from them. They were on the cusp of the local, pasture-raised food movement raising sheep, pigs, cattle, chickens, and turkeys. They jumped all in.

Fast forward to 2006 when the size of the Owens’ operation had outgrown the existing farm infrastructure. Caroline and David began the search for something on the East Coast with more acreage, especially in pasture for their burgeoning sheep business. The search led them to the current 112 acre Owens Farm in Sunbury, PA in 2008, and they have been farming the land there ever since. Located in the beautiful rolling hills of the Susquehanna River Valley, they have found their ‘forever’ farm.

The Owens currently raise sheep, pigs, chickens, and turkeys, selling to local families. No small production, they birth upwards of 175 lambs in March, with piglets in April and October, and chicks brought on farm in April to grow into meat birds. All are heritage breeds raised sustainably on a rotational system through the pastures. To help move the sheep flock, part of which spends the summer controlling vegetation under the solar panels at Susquehanna University, the Owens include border collies in their animal count.

The Owens offer classes in Lambing and Sheep 101 for individuals with or thinking about getting sheep, beekeeping and honey making, and a Sheep Bootcamp for Ag teachers. They also offer tours of their farm for a close-up look at how they raise happy and healthy animals in a natural setting without the use of chemical inputs.

As exhausting as all the above activity sounds, the Owens decided to ‘share’ their farm with overnight guests starting in 2015 because they felt the benefit of 24+ hours on site gave a much clearer picture of farm life from dawn to dusk. They also had loved to travel when their kids were young and often stayed in unconventional lodging or looked for home stays.

A former carriage barn became the ‘farm stay’, and the Owens now host guests from mid-March to November when there are the most hands-on activities (and least amount of mud!). When asked about guests’ reactions to their stay, Caroline mentions her conversations tend towards the seasonality of things – that livestock births happen during the months that most benefit survival and production, not everyday on the farm; that summer is the best (and most prolific) time to eat out of the farm garden; that grass grows fastest in spring and summer so animals are rotated through the pastures to keep it fresh and not overgrazed… also when they send out their band of sheep to keep the solar arrays cleared; like that. Additionally, there is great surprise in the abilities of her working dogs to herd and corral the sheep (probably because Rover at home is not so well behaved or interested in a job!)

This farm might be in PA but it’s right off I-80 with guests arriving from New York City, Baltimore and DC in 2-4 hours. So, if you ever want to throw yourself into the middle of a working operation with 112 acres to roam, and you find yourself in Pennsylvania or had a hankering to go to Pennsylvania, Owens Farm just might fit the bill. Take an unplugged vacation, not because there is no wifi but because your electronics don’t hold a candle to this farm experience!  Retreat to the country and breathe it all in. We can promise you your trip home will be filled with stories of your stay and your camera will be filled with the photos to back it up.

Check out Owens Farm here on Farm Stay USA for more information and to book your stay today!

(All photos courtesy Owens Farm)

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Words like this are spoken out of ignorance, having never had opportunity to embrace rural living and out of a lack of being connected to the people and systems which feed us, care for us, and clothe us. It is almost comical to read yet actually quite tragic to think that someone can be so disconnected. Let’s remove rural life, its farms, people, work ethic, and passion from this man’s life and see how long he lasts and what he will miss most. The remainder of this blog post is not to criticize this person or his line of thinking. We, as farmers, can all see how ridiculous it is. Instead, I want to focus on what we can do to enlighten people and make a difference in their lives.

Helping Others Make Connections

One of the main goals of our farm is to help people make lasting positive connections to rural farm life. Through the years, we have hosted people from all around the globe for farmstay vacations, on farm workshops, farm tours, and special events. We have taken our sheep with us to numerous sheep and wool festivals. Each person comes to us with their own story, their own disconnect and desire to BE connected. We are the facilitators which make it all happen so that their lives will be enriched and their eyes opened wide.

Embrace Rural Living

I have put newborn lambs in the arms of people who have never been in the company of sheep.
I have seen the utter joy and amazement on an urban child’s face as she collected eggs that were still warm from being laid.
I have been privileged to assist in an on farm engagement with fiancee on bended knee- sheep all around him and diamond ring tied around the neck of a wooly ewe. And then, a year later, we hosted the same couple to provide respite and a place to focus and write their wedding vows.
I have enlightened knitwear designers from New York City who had no concept of how wool was produced or processed yet they work with it on a daily basis.
I have served farm raised organic meals to urbanites who couldn’t even recognize what “real” sausage was as they exclaimed it was the best thing they had ever eaten.
I have worked beside a 5 year old who had never dug with his hands in the dirt. Together, we planted tomatoes.
I have watched farmstay guests who fell in love with chickens so much while here that they did some online research before leaving to see if they could have a backyard flock of their own. They went home with chicks in a box in their floor board. They now provide fresh eggs to their city neighbors.
I have seen 20 year olds exclaim as they pick peas from the vine saying they had no idea that peas grew in pods!
I have embraced guests as they get into their cars to go home who arrived as strangers but left as friends.
I have hauled and stacked hay alongside of a family from the city who wanted to be fully immersed into farm life.
I have seen a young man from urban California literally leap for joy after having dug the last of the burdock off a bank in our field.
I have hosted a man two years in a row from Boston who just wanted to help muck out a barn and feel the ache of his muscles from a hard days work.
I have seen eyes fill with joy and heard squeals of delight at sheep festivals when people lay hands on the backs of our sheep and when they pose to take pictures of themselves with them.
I have had total strangers cheer us on from the sidelines at sheep shows, not because they personally know us, but because they believe in us.

These are just a few of many of the lives we have touched and the connections that our farm has made possible. I encourage you farmers to do the same. Help others make connections. Help them embrace rural living and to learn and grow and to become better people for having done so.

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We asked one of our Farm Stay U.S. members, Ruth Pepler of Dogwood Hills Farm in Arkansas, about her experience with LGDs.

Some of the things I have discovered about these amazing dogs over the years I have learned the hard way. Our very first Pyrenees, Maya, was given to us because she would not stay way out in the pasture with the goats. She kept coming to the farm house. Our set up was much more to her liking with our farm house in the middle of the hub of pastures.

She was an excellent guardian and could be completely trusted with moms delivering, chickens and baby chicks, and our guests. She knew that the guests belonged there and watched over them as well!

They say it’s not good to let them socialize with people or they won’t do their job. We have not found this to be a problem.

When visiting a farm with livestock guardian dogs, it’s always good to know the ground rules. These dogs have a very specific job to do, and you would not want to distract them. The rules at Dogwood Farm, for example, are:

• Don’t hand feed the dogs. Scraps can be given to them in their feed buckets.
• Don’t chase the chickens or any other animal, the dogs find that to be questionable behavior.
• Listen to your parents… the dogs know they are your Alpha!

LGDs may work alone, if the farm is somewhat small, or there may be several dogs working together.

At first, I didn’t know that it’s hard for them to be the only LGD if the predators are thick. Our dogs run 72 acres, not a large farm, but surrounded by numerous coyote, big cats, an occasional wolf, and bear. We now have a team of 3 adults and 3 puppies. They work very well rotating and training the younger ones.

One of the things I have noticed as the younger ones step up into a more active role, is that they will dig out a hole or several holes in prime locations for watching their charges. If I can’t find a dog, the first thing I do is look out where the goats are, then check the opposite hillside and there, dug into the side of the hill, is a watchful dog.

Winter is a whole other topic. The barn is open on either end. The dogs have access to hay, heated water, and cozy goats to snuggle up with. Where do they sleep? Smack in the middle of the driveway, out in the snow, with a paw over their nose! We’ve discovered that ice blocks make great toys! They carry them all over the place.

Thanks very much to Ruth for sharing some great photos and talking with us about these special “farm hands”! Do you have questions about livestock guardian dogs? Leave it in the comments.

(Photos courtesy Dogwood Hills Farm)

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