5 FARM
MRAF 5 SNOITACYATS
VACATIONS
n w o d down e h t n o on the m r a f farm yeliR eitaK yB By Katie Riley
E
ver dreamed of spending your days gathering eggs, picking berries and bottle-feeding baby calves? Now you can—on a farm stay vacation. Farm stays have long been popular in Europe, and now more American farms are opening their doors to give families the chance to experience life on a real working farm. “Families that choose a farm stay vacation are looking for a connection to the natural world; they want their children to see and experience something that they may have only seen in books,” says Scotti Jones, executive director of Farm Stays USA, an organization dedicated to promoting agritourism and farm stays. “A farm stay is a hands-on experience. Most people have never eaten an egg they have just gathered or seen where their food is produced. It’s an educational opportunity, but also the chance to experience rural hospitality and great food,” Jones says. At Hull-O Farms in Durham, N.Y., farmers Sherry Hull and husband Frank have welcomed visitors to their 300-
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acre dairy farm for 25 years. Like many multi-generational farmers, the Hull family began hosting visitors as a way to offset the rising costs of the farm, but the benefits have been far-reaching. “We have met wonderful families from all over the world,” Sherry says, “and it’s rewarding to see guests leave our farm feeling so refreshed. It can be simple, but so impactful to bring a child to a farm.” On a farm stay, families are invited to pitch in with morning chores like milking cows and feeding horses, and enjoy the simple pleasures of farm life, like porch rocking and evening campfires. “A farm visit can be a wonderful bonding opportunity and it gives kids an understanding and respect for what farmers do and how hard they work,” Hull says. With more than 1,500 farm stays in the U.S., you can find a one that offers everything from fishing to foraging. Here are five down-to-earth options for experiencing life the way Old McDonald intended.
