Farmstays - anyone else doing this?

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SusanHillside

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Just joined the forum. I opened a historic farmstay inn in July of 2011. I'm wondering if anyone else on this forum has ventured into the farmstay side of things.
I offer 3 guest rooms for B&B style lodging. Historic dinner experiences and starting in the spring I will be offering classes. So I don't do just lodging, but have a varied biz. Anyone else out there doing something like that?
 
Agritourism is growing in America. I've stayed in agritourismos in Italy and people love them. Not just the stay in an old farmhouse, but also being able to explore farm life, pick some grapes from the vineyards, see winemaking and olive oil making, and buy products made on the farm.
At one place we stayed, the farm hands sat round outside every evening and played music and told stories. Even though we didn't understand the Italian, we loved the experience.
Make sure your insurance is good and let people get out and enjoy the farm. You'll find that many things you take for granted, like changing the oil in a tractor, can be fascinating to some city folk (the men at least)!
 
One of our neighbors: "The Inn at Crippin Creek Farm", offers farmstays. They have one cow, pigs and chickens, and involve guests with farm chores (as much as is desirable by guests and the innkeepers). They also do cooking classes.
It's been working well for them.
 
WELCOME!
I know several who do it. Families love it. From what I see on your Facebook site, you have a very unique prospective and one that many would enjoy.What a hard worker you are!
May I suggest you get a full website so that you can really show off what you have. Your home page is just an image with some link spots. You need to do justice to what you provide and that is a full blown site with lots of your facebook photos. You need a REAL photo of your lovely farmhouse!
 
Weatherbury Farm in Avella, PA gives a Junior Farmer Certificate to kids after a week there with their family. It is a working farm. We used to hae one in WV that was an alpacca farm and another since retired a few miles from me had sheep & cattle on their 400 acre farm. They had deer hunters who came every year to huint on their property.
 
Yes, ecotourism has been actually growing for some time, there was a lodge that opened in WV in 04 that has evolved into a farm, which is not common in WV or that part of southern WV. They call it ecotourism and it has done quite well...I think its great!
 
I know of one as well that gives classes in plant farming, allows guests to help collect farm eggs, pick veggies and any other farm chores they wish. They have done well with family stays and also with 4H and scout retreats.
Would love to know how to make jam without pectin
wink_smile.gif
. (time for me to do some googling)
While I think what you offer is very, very inviting, I do want to mention not to spread yourself too thin. It makes for a very tired innkeeper and burn-out comes quickly to those. Find the things that seem to work the best, brings in the guests and drop the others or save them for special weekends here or there.
Good luck, best wishes!
 
What is popular round here but it depends if you have any is feeding lambs in the spring time. they are super cute and there are usually some orphans so they need a lot of feeding. Don't know enough about cows to know if you could do something similar.
 
I know of one as well that gives classes in plant farming, allows guests to help collect farm eggs, pick veggies and any other farm chores they wish. They have done well with family stays and also with 4H and scout retreats.
Would love to know how to make jam without pectin
wink_smile.gif
. (time for me to do some googling)
While I think what you offer is very, very inviting, I do want to mention not to spread yourself too thin. It makes for a very tired innkeeper and burn-out comes quickly to those. Find the things that seem to work the best, brings in the guests and drop the others or save them for special weekends here or there.
Good luck, best wishes!.
copperhead said:
Would love to know how to make jam without pectin
wink_smile.gif
. (time for me to do some googling)
I've never used pectin. Get the Blue Ball canning book for tons of recipes without pectin.
 
Welcome Susan
welcome.gif

I think farmstays are awesome!
All the best in this, we look forward to hearing more about your place and your adventures there.
 
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