“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.

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