There’s something innately heart-warming about a quintessential farm. The very picture of a huge barn-like structure located in rich green pastures makes you yearn for the wholesome comfort of a country life. The call of livestock in the background, the sound of horses galloping in merriment in the fields, the rich aroma of freshly baked bread, and those oh-so-scrumptious breakfasts and dinners…it’s a pity we can’t reach out and reclaim those good ol’ days!
Or can we? Thankfully, in this mad, mad, mad world, there are still a few getaway spots that allow you to escape the back-breaking burden of the millstone around your neck and the additional luxury of travelling back in time where things were a whole lot simpler, not to mention charming.
The Inn at Celebrity Dairy, North Carolina
Hop into your car, travel roughly an hour southwest of Raleigh and you will chance upon a Greek-Revival structure that is the famous Inn at Celebrity Dairy. Although smaller than what you may have originally expected with only eight rooms to accommodate the guests that throng this place, The Inn does steady business.
On your stay here, expect to wake up early to watch five dozen goats being milked and participate in the celebrated cheese-making ritual. Then sit down to breakfast and sample some of the finest food that will ever tickle your taste buds. Breakfast is a communal affair as farm crew and guests sit together to sample award-winning cheese, eggs from free-range chickens, scones, fresh preserves, and applewood smoked bacon. There’s enough food for everyone and asking for seconds and thirds is not considered inappropriate at all. In fact, it’s the highest form of compliment you could pay your hosts.
Full House Farm, California
The Full House Farm in California sees a “full house” almost every week of the year. They have a variety of vacation options, ranging from day visits to overnight stays in a studio cottage. Located on a farm that sprawls lazily over 2 acres, there are plenty of things to do here – many of which will catch your fancy and have you coming back for more. You can ride horses, gather fresh eggs, milk goats, cavort with hungry rabbits; and help gather strawberries, zucchini, and cilantro.
And of course, there is the food – delicacies that make you drool, dishes that titillate your taste buds, and freshly baked items that seduce your gastronomic juices, sending your appetite into a mad overdrive. Organic eggs, bread, tea and coffee, biscotti, butter, and jam – imagine a dining table groaning under the weight of such heavenly food. It does something to your imagination, doesn’t it?
The Weatherbury Farm, Pennsylvania
Located only 45 minutes southwest of Pittsburgh, the Weatherbury Farm in Pennsylvania is a grass fed lamb and beef farm that educates its guests on sustainable farming and agricultural practices. Although this family-run venture is extremely popular among adults, it has a very special place among children. Your little ones will be kept amply occupied bottle-feeding lambs, collecting eggs for the following day’s breakfast, getting their hands dirty in the garden, and pumping the old well on the farm.
After the chores of the day are done, you are welcome to relax in cozily designed rooms or walk around exploring the gardens, meadows, valleys, and fields at your leisure. And, of course, sit down to hearty meals comprising of family favorite fare like ham, green eggs, French toast, and apple-cinnamon pancakes, and fruit not to mention freshly-ground coffee, tea, and juice. How will you ever want to leave this place?
