TheAmericanTravelProject
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If you ask my daughter what her favorite vacation spot is, among all of the many places she has been in her 8 years, she would say Rocky Acre Farm near Lancaster, PA (a close second would be New York City because of the American Girl Doll store and Times Square). Rocky Acre Farm is a farm stay. What makes this place so special, you ask? For one, she is an animal lover, and this place (being a farm) has lots of them. The other reasons are more intangible though. There is a special feeling that we get whenever we stay there. It is calm, peaceful, serene. It is not high tech and over achieving (not that there’s anything wrong with that). Although well cared for and beautiful, it is nothing fancy. As cliche as it sounds, it is a throwback to a simpler time. Just thinking about our times there makes me feel content.
We also did a farm stay when we visited Italy. In Tuscany we stayed on an olive farm (beautiful!), referred to there as agritourism (or agriturismo to be Italian about it). The views of the olive trees from the pool were just breathtaking. We had wonderful home cooked meals every evening in the outdoor courtyard with the other guests. The lodging was not at all upscale. It was authentic. There were no screens on the windows, so the tiny lizards were running around all over the room. The bathroom was a miniature all-in-one, with a toilet, showerhead on the wall, and drain in the floor – all within a 3 foot by 3 foot space. The bed was as hard as a rock. It’s one of my favorite travel memories.
What is a Farm Stay?
As you can probably tell from the descriptions above, a farm stay involves lodging on a working farm. Beyond that, they are as varied as the farms in which they are located. There are farm stays throughout the country (and the world, for that matter). Some are perfect for families, with lots of activities for kids. Some are more geared toward adults (like the ones at various vineyards). From the research I have done, it seems as though many are bed and breakfast style, with the farm atmosphere and workings as a bonus. Rocky Acre Farm offers probably the best breakfast I’ve ever had, made fresh using the eggs the kids gather in the hen house that morning.
The kids can ride the resident pony (and brush him too), feed the baby cows, milk the grown-up cows, hold newborn kittens, and chase chickens around the yard. There are porch swings, hayrides, and ATV rides around the farm with the farmer. They have canoes for exploring the waterway across the street. We felt like we were in the 1950s (in a good way). The accommodations are in the farmhouse, and there are different rooms to choose from. It is so popular that it is hard to get a reservation. Everyone who visits wants to return.
How can you find a Farm Stay?
One of the best websites I have found on the subject is Farm Stay U.S., where you can search by state, type of farm, child friendliness, etc. to find the perfect farm stay for you. It is not the only source for finding farm stays though, as the one we love is not even listed there. We found it years ago while searching for unique lodging in Lancaster County (I wrote more about the experience here).
Another great resource is Reids Guides. This is a comprehensive list of places to find farm stays by state. I forsee many hours of my time clicking around on this page.
Here are some other links that I found while searching for our next farm stay:
- 10 Great Farm Stays in America
- Lancaster County Farm Stays
- 7 Top Farm Stays Around the World
- Family Vacations at Working Farms
- Secret Farm Hideaways
- Top 10 Farm Vacations
Have you every done a farm stay? I would love to hear about your experiences!
The post What is a Farm Stay? And why you should try it appeared first on The American Travel Project.
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