Mucking out horse stalls and milking cows may not sound like your ideal vacation, but maybe it should. City dwellers and suburbanites overwhelmed with electronic doo-dads, social media connectivity, and information overload are seeking a simpler way of life, if only for a few days or weeks at a time. Meanwhile, farmers, unable to pay the bills without some form of supplemental income, are throwing open the barn doors to welcome guests onto their farmsteads. The symbiotic result is a farm stay vacation.
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Vacation to Unplug
My family desperately needed a farm stay vacation. After a weeklong parent-imposed break from technology, my then 8-year-old son was again allowed to play with his iPad and our old “kids” computer. That night, he struggled to fall asleep and told me it was because he kept thinking about video games.
He said, “I don’t want to play with technology anymore, but I can’t stop myself. I can’t quit, even when I want to. It’s like some grownups with cigarettes. Sometimes I wish we could just get rid of technology. I think our family would be happier without it.”
Of course, he forgot all about this conversation the next day when he was begging to play video games again. Still, his wise words made me long to book a family farm stay as a forced but fun way to unplug. I told him about this vacation option, and he said, “Have you ever done one of those farm stays?”
“No,” I said, “but I wrote an article about it a few years ago and interviewed farm owners and lots of people who love farm stay vacations.”
I did a web search for my TODAY Show Travel article and discovered it had been deleted from Today.com. So, I found the story on my computer and read it out loud to my son. At first, he was wary about the “work” portion of a working farm stay, but after listening to the story, he said, “I want to help on the farm! When can we go?“
Continuing from the top paragraph, here’s my original farm stay article, with a few updates.
Change of Perspective
Tara Anderson, a mom of two from Chico, California, had a tough time convincing her husband to take an 8-hour drive with their two young daughters to the Leaping Lamb Farm in Alsea, Oregon, one summer. But after a few days of breathing in the fresh coastal air, collecting eggs from the chicken coop for omelets, and sweeping out the barn, he told his wife, “This is the best.”
The Andersons hope to return to Leaping Lamb Farm someday for its green expanse of meadows and the bleating of baby lambs. It’s a place where, as Tara put it, “You really feel like things are growing.”
She said, “My kids are naturally drawn to gadgets, and I have to strictly monitor their screen time. When we were there, not once did they ask to turn the TV on.”
Educational Experience for Kids
Families gain more than just relaxation from farm stays. It is an educational experience for children who learn that food does not naturally come shrink-wrapped in plastic. Scottie Jones, owner of Leaping Lamb Farm, believes an understanding of what goes into making food will lead to better nutrition decisions and eating habits for families.
Jessica Bowers, author of SuitcasesandSippyCups.com, has done two farm stays with her four sons. She said, “We’re city dwellers, and even though we try to make connections to nature, my kids could very easily be convinced that food grows in the grocery store. Gathering eggs first thing in the morning, milking goats, picking greens and spices for us to cook dinner with, helped them to make connections to where our food really starts.”
Farm Chores on Vacation
While farm stay guests are not required to help out with chores, many do. Valeria Pitoni of Stillwaters Farm in Western Tennessee said, “Guests are allowed to participate in the day’s farm activities if they desire, but they are in no way obligated to.” Daily activities on her exhibition farm vary from grooming animals, weeding a garden, harvesting hay, and witnessing baby births.
Joanna Bloom, a mom from Oregon, makes a trek to Leaping Lamb Farm with her 12-year-old daughter every year. She said, “Farmwork is a natural confidence builder.”
When hosts and guests are asked about their favorite farm activity, the answer is unanimous: bottle-feeding baby farm animals. On some farms, orphaned critters are the only ones who require bottles, but on a dairy farm, calves are taken from mothers shortly after birth, which leads to plenty of feeding opportunities.
A Different Kind of Getaway
Overnight stays on a farm differ from spending the night at a traditional bed and breakfast or country inn. There is actual work that needs to be done on these farms, which makes a visit more meaningful for many travelers.
“When I first started hosting farm stays 28 years ago, I thought I was a B&B. I learned very quickly it’s not about the pillows, it’s about the cows,” said Beth Kennett of Liberty Hill Farm in Vermont.
How to Find a Farm Stay for Your Family
There are unique stays to suit a variety of preferences, from dairy or lamb farms to apple orchards and vineyards, to working ranches with horseback riding and cattle drives. To find the best farm stay for your family, visit FarmStayUS.org.
Our family did book a farm stay! Read about our taste of farm life at Leaping Lamb Farm with kids.
Explore More Nature Adventures
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Discover why visiting Wolfe’s Neck Farm in Freeport, Maine brought tears to my eyes.
For a trip focused on outdoor play and simple pleasures, read about what to do in Big Timber, Montana.
Save These Family Farm Stay Tips
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Would you ever consider booking a family farm vacation? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments below!
