Located in the heart of adventurous cajun country, Bonne Terre (which means Good Earth) is a sanctuary of rest and relaxation.

Bonne Terre is a certified wildlife habitat and a tranquil haven for artists, naturalists, and those just looking to get away from it all. However, it is also just minutes from historic downtown Breaux Bridge and Lafayette; so opportunities for culture, live music and local cuisine are plentiful. For bird watchers, outdoor enthusiasts and eco-tourists: the Atchafalaya Wilderness and Lake Martin are also close at hand. There is something for everyone at Bonne Terre!

Lend a Hand or Just Relax

Bonne Terre is a working farm with animals, a vegetable garden and a small orchard. When you visit at Bonne Terre, participating in farm chores is optional. You can help collect eggs, feed the animals and harvest food from the garden or orchard, if in season. Or you can do nothing but breathe, create, relax and feed your soul.

While at Bonne Terre, you can stay in one of two separate residences: the Cedar studio, or the beautiful hundred year-old Main House.  Each is nestled in a natural Louisiana landscape to provide a quiet, low impact setting for your vacation stay.  With outdoor seating areas and porches for connecting with nature and plenty of welcoming space inside too, both the main house and studio are cozy getaways. 

10-Acres of Sanctuary

The owner, Jennifer Gray, takes pride in the stewardship of her 10-acres of sanctuary by encouraging guests to minimize their impact on the environment through recycling and composting. Their gardens are organically grown, and the studio and house are equipped with eco-friendly and energy saving technologies.

Visit the Bonne Terre Farm listing here on Farm Stay USA and start planning your next getaway!

All photos courtesy of Bonne Terre Farm

The post Find “Good Earth” at Bonne Terre Farm in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana appeared first on Farmstay.

As Lori explains it, the farm began with a dream…as in the sleeping kind of a dream. She dreamt of land and ponds and growing food she gave away. And the entire dream was in color. Without any experience growing vegetables, she interpreted the dream to mean she should support food pantries or maybe volunteer at soup kitchens. The dreams persisted. Her husband realized she wasn’t kidding, and, through the serendipitous force of timing and faith, they found a farm to buy on the outskirts of Nashville. Thus, began Lori’s mission to grow and supply healthy food to those in need.

First, however, the Birckheads had to start with infrastructure since all the farm had remaining was an old stone house and a falling-down barn. They built a large red barn (the farm’s identity), ostensibly to house Lori’s harvested vegetables; refurbished the stone house so a family could live there, these days as tenant farmers; and began the work of improving the soils where their first garden was to be planted (Lori uses the word ‘garden’ although it looks more like a large  field with row crops in the photos!)

Slowly, with help from neighbors, their local Extension office, hired experts, their own labor and that of others interested in their ultimate mission, the farm began to see itself restored and producing large quantities of vegetables. To assist in distribution, the charity organization teamed up with Second Harvest to supply food banks in their area. Volunteers have helped ever since and By Faith Farm has donated thousands of pounds of locally produced fresh produce.

In the summer of 2019, Lori opened her modern apartment on the second floor of the red barn as a farm stay. Tastefully appointed and spacious at 1500 square feet, it boasts two master bedrooms, two bathrooms, a large kitchen and living area, and a balcony with views of the cattle pasture and incredible sunsets. Guests can explore the property, scouting for the old tobacco barn in the woods or throwing a line into the fishing pond for catfish. Lori may even take you for a ride down the trails in her farm UTV (utility vehicle). If you want to help with chores or volunteer in the fields, she has no problem offering you a hands-on experience. And, the purpose behind the farm stay, in addition to giving guests a taste of farm life? All revenue from the farm stay is funneled to the farm’s mission of feeding those in need.

Currently, a cattle farmer leases some of the land for his herd, a beekeeper places his hives around the fields of vegetables and flowers, the tenant farmers have their own production CSA (community supported agriculture) for locals, and Lori has a u-pick flower operation, added in 2019 for additional income to support the farm’s endeavors. Without forethought, the farm has become a springboard for others. Lori chalks it up to pursuing her mission with faith.

Speaking to Lori, it is clear this accountant-turned-farmer has found her true mission to do good in this world with a very local impact. What’s next? There are 50 more acres to tame, a tobacco barn that could second as an event center, beautiful spots on the farm for weddings, and anything else Lori can envision (or dream) to ultimately pave the way to ”health responsibility, food justice and hunger relief” (from her website www.byfaithfarm.com).

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

(Photos courtesy of By Faith Farm)

The post By Faith Farm in Joelton, Tennessee appeared first on Farmstay.

1. Could you tell us about the history of your farm?

2. Could you tell us about your animals?

I have at any time as many as 35 to 45 head of trail horses, boarding horses, rescued thoroughbreds, and I still have my old barrel mare, Star. She is 26 now and still gets excited when she hears a gate clank, like in the arena. We have several barn cats, so no mice! We have a couple of stocked ponds for the guest to fish, on a catch & release basis. We have chickens for eggs, guineas, pheasants, & turkeys for gumbos, and a pot-bellied pig, along with milk goats and sheep. If I could get my nannies to have girls instead of boys, we could make goat cheese.

3. Why did you choose to breed and raise dachshunds?

Dachshunds (long haired) are gorgeous dogs, very smart and funny. They are small for your lap, but big with loyalty. I love all hounds, but Dachshunds’ different shape and almost-shaped eyes are too hard to resist. The first time I saw a Dachshund, I was in a stationary store, and when I took a seat, the red pillow next to me moved and I jumped! I looked down and saw these gorgeous brown eyes and long flowing red coat. I didn’t even know what kind of dog it was until the owner told me. Then, a week later, I was at Louisiana Paralegal Seminar in New Orleans, and during a break I was walking through the hotel lobby and a lady came off the elevator with two long haired black & tans on a double leash. Their gait was just breathtaking for such short legs, and I was hooked. I rescue many dachshunds from animal shelters and breeders. Sometimes they simply show up in my neighborhood!

4.  Do you have a favorite vegetable or fruit, either to grow or to eat?

Strawberries and tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes, hands down! We are lucky in Louisiana to be able to grow both in several plantings almost year around. A greenhouse has been a great addition to my food supply. We can start our tomato seeds in December and plant in pots in February and in the ground in early April, for early spring tomatoes in May. Strawberries are wonderful, too. Two plantings a year, and they have more vitamin C than oranges, plus they freeze outstandingly well.

5. What is the setting of your farm like?

 

Our farm is pastoral, with woods to explore and lots of animals to visit. Our farm is prettier to most guests in the spring and summer when the plants and flowers are out, but fall is my favorite time! We may not have the foliage changes like up in the northeast, but to me Louisiana is beautiful in the fall.  It could also be that after our hot summers, we are charmed by the cooler weather.

Our pool area is very nice and can feel very private, as it’s surrounded by hibiscus, but you can be floating in the pool and look out and see beautiful horses grazing 100 feet away. We have herb gardens and raised beds with seasonal veggies to admire and when we have an abundant crop, we are more than happy to let you pick some to take home with you.

6. What do most of your guests do during their stay?

They walk around the farm, get to know the petting zoo animals, pick veggies in high season, take a hike on the horse trails through the 45 acres, trail ride after breakfast, read a book on the patio, swim, fish the stocked ponds, or take a nap in a hammock (my favorite when I have time!)  They also get to choose what they are going to have for breakfast the next morning.  Every guest gets a menu with four to five items to choose from. No generic breakfast casserole is served in my dining room!

7. Your B&B includes three guest bedrooms – “The Queens’ Suite,” “La Louisiane,” and “Ponderosa.” You also offer a furnished guest apartment with six bunk beds. Could you tell us about the décor and your decorating philosophy?

My decorating philosophy is really about comfort. I use 1000+ thread count sheets, down comforters, and thick towels. We iron all the sheets. It’s luxurious even though you’re on a farm. We also offer flat-screen TVs, DVD players and board games. There’s so much to do here!

8. Anything more you’d like to add?

I am very blessed to be living my dream — being in the country, surrounded by animals, cooking for people, decorating for the seasons, and having a very wonderful husband and children who support my dream and like my mother-in-law told me, “You have vision!  I am so proud of you!”  I am proud of me, too, and of Splendor Farms!

—-

Photo credits: Carl Bordelon Photography

The post Splendor Farms: A Louisiana B&B fit for cowgirls and queens appeared first on Farmstay.