tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56291542724461158202012-01-17T21:13:10.701-05:00Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.comBlogger731100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-63976934101703781862011-02-24T08:56:00.002-05:002011-03-27T22:11:33.041-04:00

Aunt Em's Urban Inn+Farm was the first urban farm stay I'd ever heard of. Needless to say, I was very excited to talk with innkeeper/farmer Emme Levine about what she does. It turns out that there are a couple of other urban farm stays around the country. Very neat! More about those later. Of course, these places are very different than rural farm stays, but urban farm stays offer their own kind

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-68882019261564649792011-01-08T17:54:00.001-05:002011-01-08T18:04:40.641-05:00

I met Irene Lane last September at the International Ecotourism Conference. She recently launched an ecotourism website called Greenloons, and she got in touch with me to ask if she might write a guest post for The Farm Stay Project. Here are her compelling suggestions for ways that agritourism and ecotourism might be better integrated. Michelle asked me to provide some suggestions for how

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-30722835667545798202010-12-09T21:11:00.002-05:002011-02-11T14:34:32.359-05:00

Stonehaven Farm is a gem of a farm stay in a gem of a spot. Westport, where Stonehaven is situated, is in the Southeastern corner of Massachusetts, 60 miles south of Boston, and 30 miles southeast of Providence, Rhode Island. Only minutes away from Stonehaven Farm, Horseneck Beach State Reservation is a beautiful, 2-mile long beach on Buzzards Bay with 600 acres of salt marsh and sand dunes.

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-24969335691040033812010-11-22T16:27:00.001-05:002010-11-23T15:16:01.427-05:00

I had visited lots of farm stays on my own, so I wanted to see how my parents, sister, and her two cutie pie kids liked the experience. Last August, I planned a farm vacation to Berry Fields Farm in North Central PA for the five of us. I especially wanted to see how my nieces Skylar (5) and Ruby (2) took to gathering eggs and feeding the animals, and to snap a few adorable pictures of them along

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-74705717297350252922010-11-06T14:28:00.000-04:002010-11-06T14:28:04.107-04:00

"So, how expensive are these 'farm stays,' anyway?" Lots of folks who approached our Farm Stay U.S. booth at the Mother Earth News Fair asked this question.  For the answer to another common question, check out this post, which talks about farm stays v. WWOOFing v. B&Bs. Back to the question at hand. Farm stays are a broad category of accommodations, ranging from a spot to pitch a tent to

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-53157425856066849942010-10-30T12:26:00.002-04:002010-10-30T15:18:13.302-04:00

I've uploaded some photos from the October 1st farm tour at Walpole Valley Farms. Gorgeous red barn, lively chickens and turkeys, content cows, and my favorite, the pretty pigs. All of them are out on pasture, with movable shelters, and they hardly set foot in the big barn. After the tour with farmer Chris Caserta, his sister Jackie Caserta, the innkeeper, showed me around the lovely Inn at

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-86229005265152492472010-10-20T19:39:00.000-04:002010-10-20T19:39:48.911-04:00

The first week of October, I was lucky enough to visit 11 farm stays in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts during fall colors in New England, one of the most beautiful displays of nature anywhere. A bold statement perhaps, though thousands of "leaf peepers" agree. Here's a roundup of the 11 farms I visited; I'll profile each of them in more detail later. Please excuse the lack of photos; I

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-7588691127692953962010-10-03T11:41:00.000-04:002010-10-03T11:41:24.493-04:00

Last weekend, my wonderful mom and I hosted a Farm Stay U.S./Farm Stay Project booth at the Mother Earth News Fair at Seven Springs Resort in PA. We talked with hundreds (thousands?) of people about farm stays, and they had lots of questions for us. I'm going to do a series of little posts in the next few weeks trying to answer some of these questions. Here's question number one. Q: How is a

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-58075955009481896142010-09-29T21:55:00.000-04:002010-09-29T21:55:55.019-04:00

Agritainment? Agritourism? | UVM Extension New Farmer Project Helpful article for farmers thinking about adding agritourism. Lots to consider!

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-76023135522695781552010-09-23T23:10:00.000-04:002010-09-23T23:10:57.924-04:00

This weekend -- September 25th and 26th -- I'm heading to the first ever Mother Earth News Fair at Seven Springs Mountain Resort in Western Pennsylvania. I'll be hosting the official Farm Stay U.S. booth, demoing the website and getting people excited about farm stays! We'll also be selling t-shirts, guide booklets for farm stays in the Mid-Atlantic, and lovely lamb-themed goodies, like puzzles,

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-7758931286806036502010-09-13T11:45:00.000-04:002010-09-13T11:45:15.181-04:00

I just finished up the exciting Eco and Sustainable Tourism Conference in Portland, Ore., where I co-presented with Scottie Jones, owner of Farm Stay U.S. and also got a chance to stay at her lovely Leaping Lamb Farm for a night. Watch for a post about those soon. I also have to catch up on writing about my family vacation to Berry Fields Farm in PA and my visit to Pleasant Springs Farm, VA.

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-36184787757405103552010-09-01T13:24:00.000-04:002010-09-01T13:24:14.936-04:00

The Ponderosa Lodge Farm is scenically situated in the mountains above West Virginia’s New River Gorge, a great spot for hiking, rock climbing, and river rafting. In July, I drove the winding road up to the farm to meet with owner Ken Toney and take a tour of the farm. When I arrive, Ken generously takes a break from his work in the lodge’s kitchen to show me around. A whole bin of apples sits

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-80398156968308292732010-08-22T22:27:00.001-04:002010-08-22T22:32:44.170-04:00

Agritainment: Fun on the farm - Boulder Daily Camera Here's an article and video about agritourism in Boulder County, CO. Though it's specific to the area, the article gives a good overview of what diverse kinds of agritourism are all about.

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-352051719663703032010-08-07T21:54:00.000-04:002010-08-07T21:54:24.046-04:00

Farm stays have been in the news a lot lately. Whoop! Here's a rundown: The Oregonian's Terry Richard profiles Leaping Lamb Farm and Farm Stay U.S., calling the farm stay "just what the doctor ordered." Photo: Joan Fleischer Tamen with her son, David, feeding a goat at Apple Pond Farm. FRANK TAMEN Joan Fleischer Tamen visits Apple Pond Farm in upstate NY and writes about it for the Miami

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-79051325652865833742010-07-28T18:44:00.003-04:002010-08-04T12:17:48.845-04:00

Sitting on the wraparound deck of the Brightwood Farm cottage makes you feel like you’re up in the trees. The Robinson River winds through in the valley below, and the loudest sound you hear is the cicadas’ buzz. Inside of the cottage, large windows still let you enjoy the view and the vibrant green of the summer canopy. The cottage is a very cleverly planned 600 square feet, with every

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-1949443688273211262010-07-22T15:44:00.000-04:002010-07-22T15:44:14.130-04:00

AGRITOURISM ON MITCHELL FARMS from Daryl Jones on Vimeo. Really well done agritourism video. I love this quote: "This beats the punk outta growing soybeans and peanuts that you have to give away over in Alabama!" Folks told this farmer that no one would come to his middle-of-nowhere farm, but come they do.

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-60770511758935864652010-07-07T14:43:00.001-04:002011-02-11T13:53:15.861-05:00

Lant Hill Farm is a small organic farm on a scenic hilltop in Argyle, New York, not far from the Vermont border. On the farm, hosts Don Previtali and Sue Kowaleski raise and breed their own unique variety of beef cattle, along with chickens, vegetables like multicolored potatoes, and a diverse collection of fruits: there are blueberry, elderberry, black currant, and raspberry bushes, and plum,

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-36733734840177152392010-07-02T12:24:00.000-04:002010-07-02T12:24:06.951-04:00

South Africa agritourism + funny guy in knee socks = :-) Watch for the scapegoat!

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-66016255307092017962010-06-26T11:34:00.000-04:002010-06-26T11:34:26.752-04:00

At Berry Fields Farm in Northeastern PA, Barbara and Charlie Gerlach raise Tamworth hogs, Boer goats, pastured poultry, and grass fed Hereford cattle. They offer a guest house that sleeps 2-10 and a farm to table dining room serving Saturday dinner and Sunday brunch. www.berryfieldsfarm.net

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-19151956957037893792010-06-14T15:30:00.000-04:002010-06-14T15:30:01.788-04:00

Canter Berry Tails Apple Ranch is an 1820s, four-bedroom vacation home rental on a 51-acre apple and vegetable farm near Gettysburg, PA. The house is decorated with incredible care and detail, and owners Ted and Sandy take great pride in all they’ve done to restore the house. Each of the bedrooms has a theme: there is the garden room, the hunting and fishing room, the North room, and the South

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-10079215205847388212010-06-09T21:09:00.000-04:002010-06-09T21:09:10.792-04:00

I'm excited to announce the launch of a beautiful new website called Farm Stay U.S. It's the brainchild of farm stay owner Scottie Jones of Leaping Lamb Farm Stay in Alsea, Oregon. The site is funded in part by a USDA SARE grant. Scottie has loads of farm stays already on the map, but she's looking for more. If you know of any she should add, let her know. Scottie and I will be collaborating in

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-55513073820242430272010-05-28T23:20:00.000-04:002010-05-28T23:20:55.653-04:00

When my sister and I were growing up in rural Western Pennsylvania, our best friends lived just down the hill and across the field from us. Their father had a great big garden that captured our imaginations and encouraged us to dream. We kids would feast on strawberries and scheme to get rich selling the extras from the end of their driveway. Nobody ever stopped to buy our strawberries, but we

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-42436739695848870992010-05-23T15:09:00.000-04:002010-05-23T15:09:36.880-04:00

Farmstays in Europe - Agriturismo and farmhouses is an article by Anouk van den Eijnde of the Green Traveler UK blog highlighting the author's top five farm stay picks in Europe. How about a renewable energy-powered cattle and sheep farm in England, or an organic wheat, fruit, and vegetable farm on the Italian coast? They sound incredible.   The rustic Agriturismo La Cerra on the island of

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-85493452530295641312010-05-21T09:55:00.001-04:002010-05-21T10:02:25.223-04:00

New England Business Journals rounds up a bunch of Vermont farm stays. Ah Vermont, how I love you. photo: that's my niece Skylar picking strawberries in the Green Mountain State.

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-76684595950777403972010-05-12T18:02:00.000-04:002010-05-12T18:02:10.423-04:00

Two horseback riding farm vacations in PA: Pennsylvania Horseback Riding Vacation | Writing Horseback

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-79414402561586440192010-05-07T00:19:00.000-04:002010-05-07T00:19:29.296-04:00

Ken and Sally Hassinger have created a little cottage village for guests on their farm in Central Pennsylvania. The cottages are fully recycled, serving a range of functions in their previous lives. Two were summer kitchens, one was a used car lot office, and others were farm buildings. All eight of the cottages are imported from the area surrounding the farm. The Hassingers disassembled them,

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-77490621679208855312010-04-21T14:40:00.000-04:002010-04-21T14:40:46.691-04:00

Kim and Don Greene recently started a website called Harvest Hosts. The site is based on a concept the Greenes brought to the US from Europe. The idea is to build a network of farms and wineries that agree to host RVers for free for up to 24 hours. RVers buy a membership to gain access to the network. Don Greene kindly agreed to answer some my questions. Here's our interview: Q: Could you

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-1935379242029241982010-04-16T00:31:00.001-04:002010-04-16T00:35:32.622-04:00

In 1864, during the heat of the Civil War, Union soldiers burned 230 barns and eight mills in Loudoun County, in retaliation for Confederate raids. They slaughtered and drove off tens of thousands of farm animals, and destroyed tens of thousands of bushels of grain. As the county lies right on the edge between the North and the South, it was ferociously contested and a hotbed for conflict. Sara

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-33672606161881535122010-04-11T23:48:00.000-04:002010-04-11T23:48:45.477-04:00

Photo: Evelyn, then 4, plays with the chickens at Willow-Witt Ranch in Ashland, Ore. Fresh eggs are available for purchase. (Jessica Garrison / Los Angeles Times)   On this blog, I normally list relevant agritourism articles via the Google Reader widget in the right sidebar, but a nice trio of agritourism / farm stay articles has come out in the past few days, so I decided to

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-73711637430809272912010-04-06T07:32:00.001-04:002010-04-06T07:44:15.934-04:00

Cheesemonger: A Life on the Wedge is a memoir by Gordon "Zola" Edgar, who buys and sells cheese for the Rainbow Grocery Cooperative in San Francisco. Cheesemonger traces Edgar's accidental road into the world of cheese, explaining that he stumbled upon his job circuitously, after growing up on punk politics and less than gourmet Velveeta and Kraft singles. After working at Rainbow for a while

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-137801502155085392010-03-28T11:15:00.000-04:002010-03-28T11:15:19.854-04:00

Kitty Hockman Nicholas is a third generation dairy farmer who raises 20 Jersey cows, crops, and a managerie of sheep, pigs, chickens, donkeys, and peacocks on 50 acres in the Northwest corner of Virginia, near Winchester. The farm sits within view of five mountain ranges. Kitty grew up at Hedgebrook, and left the farm for college. In 1977, when Kitty’s brother died tragically in a farming

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-26440607390003890892010-03-11T02:51:00.002-05:002010-03-11T02:54:13.893-05:00

WeatherLea Farm traces its history back to the late 1700s. Like many old homes in Virginia, the WeatherLea farmhouse was constructed in parts. The log cabin was built first in 1794. Over time, additional rooms were added. Eventually the farmhouse became the lovely mélange of materials and building styles that it is today. The farm is named for Yetive and Earle Weatherly, who lived on the land

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-876220595249979252010-03-05T00:46:00.000-05:002010-03-05T00:46:07.522-05:00

Pauline Porcaro of Agritourism Australia has written this wonderful guest post for Farm Stay USA. Thanks Pauline! Agritourism in Australia Michelle has asked me to provide an overview of agritourism in Australia, our website (www.agritourismaustralia.com.au), and how we got into agritourism in the first place; so here we go! My interest in agritourism started teaching my tourism students about

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-32889752452753236442010-02-26T15:45:00.000-05:002010-02-26T15:45:32.461-05:00

I created a map showing all the farms I've written about here on Farm Stay USA. Hopefully, the map will make the farm stay posts more accessible and better organized than they were when they were only listed in the blog archives. A small version of this map will always show up on the right hand side of the blog along with the other widgets, but it works much better in large form. You can always

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-75714224994238550572010-02-24T20:38:00.000-05:002010-02-24T20:38:23.974-05:00

I recently wrote a guest post for beginningfarmers.org that was published there on Monday. In the post, I define and explain farm stays, which is (strangely) something I haven't yet done on this blog. So I figured I would repost the piece here. -------------- Farm stays are one form of agritourism that is popular elsewhere in the world, though not yet well known here in the United States. But

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-6809707801070485572010-02-21T20:08:00.001-05:002010-02-28T22:33:02.165-05:00

To see part I of my Smithfield Farm/Smith Meadows Meats write up, click here. A quick refresher: Smithfield Farm is an eighth generation farm near Berryville, VA. Ruth Smith Pritchard is innkeeper for the farm’s bed and breakfast. Ruth’s two children and their families, including two grandsons, also live on the farm. Ruth credits her children, Forrest Pritchard and Betsy Pritchard, for bringing

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-91723319928046570722010-02-18T12:44:00.000-05:002010-02-18T12:44:26.851-05:00

Dora Ann Hatch is the Extension Agritourism Coordinator for the Louisiana State University AgCenter. I asked her to say a bit about Louisiana agritourism for Farm Stay USA. Thanks to her for the following info! In Louisiana, farmers have been opening their farms to “city folks” for over a century. In 2008 the Louisiana Legislature recognized the potential of agritourism and introduced a bill

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-34957474039692505022010-02-13T14:37:00.000-05:002010-02-13T14:37:33.613-05:00

Farm Stay USA is now on Facebook. Check it out here, or from the link at the bottom of the right sidebar.

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-33585012906276045642010-02-11T12:18:00.001-05:002010-02-28T22:01:39.467-05:00

First, I want to say a bit about historic preservation and farm stays, then I will profile Smithfield Farm/ Smith Meadows Meats in Clarke County near Berryville, VA. I’ve decided to break my write up from Smithfield into two parts. It’s an incredible place, and I think two posts will better do it justice. Old barns and farmhouses are expensive to maintain, and their owners unfortunately but

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-9611961060621336862010-02-01T18:37:00.001-05:002010-02-26T11:48:09.149-05:00

Here's my report from Creek Crossing Farm in Lincoln, VA, along with a bit of background about the area. Loudoun County            Loudoun County, Virginia, only 25 miles from Washington DC, is one of the fastest-growing counties in the nation, and boasts one of its highest median incomes. With a steady population of roughly 20,000 from 1900 through the 1950s, Loudoun County has exploded to a

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-31844797233387213872010-01-24T21:40:00.005-05:002010-01-26T11:50:31.806-05:00

I visited the Farm of Peace, a farm stay and retreat center in Warfordsburg, PA last week. Here's my report. Farm of Peace            The Farm of Peace sits on 150 rolling acres of field and forest in South Central Pennsylvania, at the end of a long dirt road. Renata Parrino, animal caretaker, farm stay host, and head cook for retreats, is one of five farm owners. The owners are all part of

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-54531278035895687612010-01-20T13:28:00.000-05:002010-01-20T13:28:38.119-05:00

I wanted to quickly explain the changes I made to my blog format a couple of weeks ago. Instead of sharing relevant articles that I come across as posts, I've started sharing them in the list to the right, via google reader, which, by the way, is a free service from google that I highly recommend. It's an excellent way to quickly digest and share lots of information. To view the entire list of

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-49972568644538590712010-01-03T00:16:00.000-05:002010-01-03T00:16:18.129-05:00

I visited Armstrong Farms in Saxonburg, PA a few days ago. Following are the notes from my interview with owners Kathy and John Allen. Unfortunately, it was snowy and not a good day for photos; fortunately, others have already taken some great photos of the farm. Thanks to DJ Pifemaster at pifemaster.com for the lovely exterior photos. Armstrong Farms sits on a vast 1000 gently rolling acres,

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-17539829038442937822009-12-30T12:42:00.001-05:002010-01-03T00:31:18.712-05:00

Fraser Valley Agritourism - British Columbia, Canada Video

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-38754833323787547452009-12-20T15:32:00.000-05:002009-12-20T15:32:34.850-05:00

Cut-your-own Christmas trees are making a comeback in Massachusetts, according to Amy Bracken of the Boston Globe. Even when the cut-your-own trees cost far more than the Canadian pines sold by large retailers, demand for locally-grown trees outstrips supply. One reason is that freshly cut trees stay green for months, while older pre-cut trees quickly lose their needles. Another is that people

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-81291881372664952282009-12-14T23:19:00.004-05:002009-12-14T23:29:39.591-05:00

In a food feature for the Memphis Flyer, Sarah Christine Bolton gave a glowing report of food and agritourism in Chattanooga, TN. Bolton says that the city is "embracing artistic endeavors, sustainable business, locally grown food, and a thriving agri-tourism industry." Photo: Working Horse Winery Becky Gavigan of Granville Online wrote about the Working Horse Winery Inn in a recent article.

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-58139031329679574362009-12-07T18:42:00.001-05:002009-12-14T15:07:16.742-05:00

D Acres of New Hampshire Organic Farm and Educational Homestead is a diverse nonprofit that hosts year round events and workshops on topics like food, ecological construction, gardening, blacksmithing, and woodworking. Located on 180 primarily forested acres, D Acres welcomes a range of workers and guests for its internships, apprenticeships, and hostel. Hostel guests can choose from camping on

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-84471141244893169272009-12-02T14:56:00.000-05:002009-12-02T16:08:29.878-05:00

Zoning "A profitable farm preserves itself," says Prince George's County, MD Farm Bureau President Yates Claggett. The Prince George's County Council recently passed two bills that support agritourism. The first adds wineries to the county zoning code, while the second defines agritourism, and allows it in certain residential areas. Although the county can now provide permits for wineries to

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-9566287600843165082009-11-24T15:18:00.000-05:002009-11-24T15:18:56.785-05:00

Kate Hammil compiled her choices for the "Top ten alternative lodging options" for Gadling.com. Here's what she says about Farm Stays: When visiting a city, I generally like to stay in the city. I want to be able to step outside of my lodging directly into the fray. I want to wander all day down cobble stones streets, and then be able to totter home after a few drinks to fall asleep to the

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-84135275241197907522009-11-20T18:38:00.000-05:002009-11-20T18:38:24.103-05:00

Stevie, the author of a blog called Garden Therapy, visited Trevin Farms Bed and Breakfast in Central Vermont, and came back with a great photos and a report called Sassy Goats, Begging Chickens, and Chevre. Trevin Farms offers a 3-day chevre-making class that, according to Stevie, produced a pound of the most delightfully light and delicate cheese. In international news, Farm Stay UK recently

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-69419845377217763392009-11-19T22:47:00.000-05:002009-11-19T22:47:40.768-05:00

Cornell Cooperative Extension recently hosted an agritourism workshop in Greene County, NY. Here's The Daily Mail quoting Sherry Hull, of Hull-O Farms, who presented during the workshop: I'm not going to lie, [hosting guests] is hard work. And we are slaves to the weather and government. But whenever I feel stressed, I pull out one of the guest books and read the passage a little boy said years

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-34857625489682856942009-11-14T16:12:00.002-05:002011-01-14T14:25:24.334-05:00

Central New York’s Finger Lakes region, named for a handful of long, skinny lakes carved out by glaciers, has become famous for its wineries, and has a rich local foods culture that is beautifully displayed in places like the Ithaca Farmers Market. Only a few miles from Ithaca, Brookton Hollow Farm and its dry bean and grain label, Cayuga Pure Organics, have become vital suppliers of New York’s

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-10026769859328525752009-11-11T21:53:00.000-05:002009-11-11T21:53:59.979-05:00

I've been traveling lately, so to catch up, I have a scattered bunch of articles and blog posts to report on: The LA Times surveyed its readers to find out their picks for their favorite underrated vacation spots. Agritourism is mentioned in the first section, on Charlevoix, Quebec. Wendy Redal, a columnist for Gaiam Life, wrote a nice overview of agritourism in a piece called Fall on the Farm

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-76876401644857821272009-11-04T11:38:00.000-05:002009-11-04T11:38:09.917-05:00

The USDA recently published data on this year's Consumer Price Index (CPI) for food, as well as forecasts for next year. The CPI is a "market basket" of selected foods that is meant to reflect the foods purchased by a typical consumer, and is used to track retail food prices from year to year. The USDA predicts low-to-moderate food price inflation in 2009 of two to three percent - which is lower

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-90997219378540050092009-10-30T00:01:00.000-04:002009-10-30T00:02:52.437-04:00

Journalist and yoga teacher Ann Marie Swan wrote a lovely article for the Salida Citizen (an intriguing volunteer-run community news site) about Colorado wine and agritourism, accompanied by nice photos of grape stomping and such. Also, here's a short piece about Missouri wineries and agritourism. And here's an article about culinary and agri-tourism in Tennessee, from Jacque Hillman of the

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-34229216181963218322009-10-22T15:42:00.000-04:002009-10-22T16:10:13.279-04:00

Each week's agritourism news seems to gather around a certain theme.  This week, the theme that's popping up in local papers around the U.S. and Canada is that agritourism is flourishing even in the recession, as agritourism farms are a good source of close-to-home, affordable family entertainment.  Agritourism has been in the news a lot this week!  I'll just give a roundup of linked headlines

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-32785821858051623412009-10-16T12:36:00.002-04:002010-06-26T15:43:43.575-04:00

Cross Island Farms, an organic, 102-acre veggie and meat farm in Northern New York, added five primitive campsites this fall.  They're also planning to install a wind turbine, according to an article by writer Nancy Madsen for the Watertown Daily Times.  Other Northeastern U.S. farm stays featuring alternative energy include: Apple Pond Farm and Renewable Energy Education Center, in the

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-5808995669375292652009-10-14T12:23:00.000-04:002009-10-14T12:39:03.148-04:00

The theme of the articles I've been posting lately seems to be: you can't make a living from just farming anymore -- at least not the kind of farming in which farmers sell to middlemen who determines the price of the goods. Different strategies are in order, from direct-to-consumer sales to hosting customers on the farm for all kinds of activities. "A tough row to hoe," by Gordon Delaney of the

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-45406386492482474172009-10-13T00:14:00.000-04:002009-10-13T01:10:10.744-04:00

Photo by Skip Lawrence The Frederick News-Post's Ike Wilson penned an article called "Farm fall," on Maryland agritourism. The opening paragraphs outline an unfortunate but typical pattern for small farms, particularly in more urban/suburban areas. Agritourism here, like elsewhere in the country, is providing a bit of hope for farmers who have run out of options for economic survival. From

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-7950704094392809012009-10-09T17:05:00.000-04:002009-10-09T17:42:03.307-04:00

Molly Kimmelman of The Grand Rapids Press featured West Michigan's Kent Harvest Trails yesterday. The Kent Harvest Trails, which are celebrating their 20th year, bring 50,000 visitors to 19 farms throughout West Michigan. All kinds of "trails" -- harvest trails, art trails, wine trails, farm trails, quilt trails -- seem to be on the rise. I really like this "trail" idea, and I think it's an

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-34466198663999964512009-10-07T22:59:00.000-04:002009-10-07T23:11:15.982-04:00

Portland Family Adventures, an online family travel guide for spots around Portland, OR, also featured the lovely-looking Leaping Lamb Farm Stay, complete with a couple of videos. For more information about Leaping Lamb Farm, see my previous post.

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-55003685271128274952009-10-06T11:16:00.000-04:002009-10-06T12:20:49.142-04:00

A nice article called "Living the country life," from the Corvallis, OR paper the Gazette Times and reporter Kyle Odegard, features the Leaping Lamb Farm Stay in Alsea. Photo caption: Sherri Woolworth and her daughter, Jordan, watch the sheep eat after giving them some hay at Leaping Lamb Farm on Thursday morning. The Woolworths are from Tacoma and are

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-45302086723454991312009-10-02T19:24:00.000-04:002009-10-02T19:50:33.501-04:00

Land in Massachusetts is highly vulnerable to development. One way that some farms have been successful in keeping their land in agriculture is by converting to wineries, and by incorporating agritourism. The Boston Globe featured several Massachusetts wineries in an article by Brian Benson. A quote from the article: “For me, it was whatever we could do to preserve the farm,’’ said Adelman of

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-69800510394767476592009-09-30T18:56:00.000-04:002009-09-30T19:10:17.329-04:00

The Perceptive Travel Blog's Antonia Malchik wrote a nice post about Sprout Creek Farm in New York's Hudson Valley. The farm is an educational/teaching farm first and foremost, but also produces lovely goat and cows milk cheeses. And they rent a three-bedroom cottage, only an hour from New York City.

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-50343866657059898842009-09-29T12:51:00.000-04:002009-09-29T13:12:50.126-04:00

Frommer's (publishers of numerous travel guides and the travel website frommers.com) featured farm stays in the article "Back to Basics with Agritourism and Farm Vacations Across the U.S." It's great to see an article like this. Two points though: 1. I've seen many similar articles published in the last 5 years, and they usually mention the same 5-10 farms. There are so many other farm stays

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-49242090482046785562009-09-27T10:31:00.000-04:002009-09-27T12:07:38.144-04:00

Vermont's dairies are struggling. Wholesale milk prices are the lowest they've been in 30 years -- low enough that the price doesn't even cover operating costs. An article in the Brattleboro Reformer talks about the dire plight of Vermont dairies, which are trying crop diversification and agritourism to remain solvent. Reporter Chris Garofolo highlights the Guilford, VT Gaines Farm which

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-9123089753240757242009-09-22T17:00:00.000-04:002009-09-22T17:11:52.734-04:00

You-pick apple orchards in Delaware, and agritourism in general, were the topic of a Delaware Online article today. And Maine corn mazes received similar positive attention in a Kennebec Journal article. Both articles stress the pleasant, family-friendly experiences people enjoy when they visit farms, as well as the benefits for farmers.

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-76883778521189300952009-09-22T16:38:00.000-04:002009-09-22T16:51:28.084-04:00

The United States Agricultural & Food Law and Policy blog asks: Can Agritourism Boost the Agriculture Industry? The answer, as you might guess, is a hopeful "yes." -------------------- The Colorado Department of Agriculture holds an annual photo contest called "Colorado ... it's AgriCultural." Prizes are awarded in four areas: crops, livestock, people and agritourism.

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-50688391350219837422009-09-17T22:39:00.001-04:002009-09-17T23:04:57.706-04:00

Feather Downs, a Europe-based upscale farm stay chain that sets up participating farms with fancy platform tents and other amenities in exchange for a large portion of farm stay revenue, is getting quite of bit of press lately. First, the New York Times article, "$300 a Night, but Haying's Free," about a Feather Downs farm stay in New York, which you can read here on the Backyard Farming blog.

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-41670202485350480492009-09-15T10:59:00.000-04:002009-09-15T11:40:36.945-04:00

According to an article posted on mycentralnewjersey.com, New Jersey lawmakers recently toured agritourism farms and discussed the creative strategies that farmers have used to survive pressure from urbanization in Middlesex and Mercer Counties. Apparently New Jersey's Department of Agriculture narrowly survived being slashed in last year by politicians in Trenton. This fall, says the article, "

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-57650290822369574942009-09-14T16:09:00.000-04:002009-09-14T17:34:52.463-04:00

The Boston Globe published an article yesterday (9/13) called "Making Your Trip Green," on options for travelers to reduce their footprints. Agritourism is mentioned on the 3rd page. The short agritourism rundown mentions New England (in passing), California, specifically Sonoma County Farm Trails, and bicycle-touring agritourism in Southern Italy, with Virginia-based Ciclismo Classico.

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-16375345110436366102009-09-13T10:09:00.000-04:002009-09-13T15:12:15.451-04:00

Farm Stay UK, which promotes farm tourism in the United Kingdom and publishes a variety of guides and maps for over 1,200 UK farm stays, has entered a bid to make "the countryside" the UK's official City of Culture for 2013, claiming that the countryside just as culturally important as the UK's cities. Clever! The bid has attracted quite a bit of press for the organization.

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629154272446115820.post-86459373675797825012009-09-11T13:22:00.000-04:002009-09-11T13:40:35.591-04:00

Some bits of agritourism news, from Oregon, Oklahoma, and Australia: A vineyard in Central Oregon will host an agritourism fair to support homeless children. From the article: "To help ensure all children in Deschutes County have access to basic-need services, the Heat? Or Eat? Benefit will be held on Sunday, October 4th at 3:00 pm at the Faith, Hope, and Charity Vineyard in Terrebonne. This

Michelle Nowakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01743498519580871049noreply@blogger.com0