We are glad to welcome three new members to the Farm Stay U.S. family! Introducing...

Dogwood Hills Farm, Harriet, Arkansas

The cozy cottage at Dogwood Hills Farm is located in the beautiful Ozark Mountains of Arkansas. Visitors are invited to help the owners with their morning chores of gathering eggs, feeding animals, and checking on babies as they arrive. Animals on the farm include cows, horses, goats, sheep, rabbits, chickens, and ducks -- and dogs and cats, too!

Dogwood Hills Farm can accommodate up to 8 people in the 3 bedroom cottage, and meals can be self-prepared in the full kitchen. They welcome children under 12, family reunions, and other special events.

The Williams Farm, Newborn, Georgia

The rustic farmhouse at The Williams Farm is located just an hour from Atlanta, Georgia. Visitors will experience what it's like to live on a farm with chickens and goats, a garden, and 300 acres of fields and woods to explore. Enjoy picnics, stargazing, rocking on the front porch, or picking pecans (in the fall).

The farmhouse has one large room upstairs that can accommodate up to 8 guests, and a main level suite to accommodate two. Meals can be included and served family-style, or may be self-prepared in the full kitchen. They welcome children under 12, pets, weddings, and other parties or special events.

Asgaard Farm and Dairy, Au Sable Forks, New York

The Emmerson House at Asgaard Farm and Dairy is the historic estate of Rockwell Kent, a well-known artist, writer, adventurer, political activist, and farmer. Located in the Adirondacks, the house was originally built in the 1930s. This diversified family farm has a goat dairy and creamery at its core, with grass-fed and grass-finished beef, pastured pork, poultry and eggs. Visitors may be able to help with some of the chores during their stay, or they may choose to relax and just observe.

The house can accommodate up to four guests. Meals are self-prepared in the full kitchen. Children under 12 are welcome.

Hearty congratulations to our winners, and a warm thank-you to everyone who participated.

Here are the winning images (in no particular order):

This month, Farm Stay U.S. is proud to feature Splendor Farms, a B&B, trail-riding facility, and licensed Dachshund kennel in Bush, Louisiana, one hour outside of New Orleans. We recently interviewed owner Kelly Bensabat and are excited to share her story. For more details and to plan a stay, check out the Farm Stay U.S. Splendor Farms listing. Thanks to Carl Bordelon Photography for the use of the photos below.

1. Could you tell us about the history of your farm?

Through hard work and faith in my dreams, Splendor Farms evolved from a family home with a horse into the bed and breakfast and trail riding facility we have today. My husband, an attorney, and I, an insurance defense paralegal for over 20 years, moved here in 1988 and raised our two children here, but they didn't really live a farm life then other than a garden and woods to play in. About 12 years ago, I decided to breed my mare and build a barn for her. When the kids left for college, I bought my first dachshund, then another, and another, and then started showing and breeding. I was tiring of the legal world and decided I wanted to show my dogs full time, give riding lessons, and board horses.

I am in my 5th year of summer horse/farm camps and now do middle of the month camps as well; for those monthly camps I work with the parents so the camps are an incentive to make good grades; I only let girls attend if they are making As and Bs in school, which has helped some girls who were struggling academically to turn around their grades. The summer camps host 8-10 campers at a time; the campers get to do lots of riding, learn to cook, do chores, pick veggies, fish, and compete in a rodeo on Fridays.

My next endeavor will be to build a couple of small one-room camps, with baths and full kitchens, on the 2.5 acres across from our home overlooking the creek.  These will be rented out for weekend stays, with day passes for trail rides, fishing, and swimming available for the guests. They will be so private that they will also be great "get away from it all" destinations!

2. Could you tell us about your animals?

I have at any time as many as 35 to 45 head of trail horses, boarding horses, rescuedthoroughbreds, andI still have my old barrel mare, Star. She is 26 now and still gets excited when she hears a gate clank, like in the arena. We have several barn cats, so no mice! We have a couple of stocked ponds for the guest to fish, on a catch & release basis. We have chickens for eggs, guineas, pheasants, & turkeys for gumbos, and a pot-bellied pig, along with milk goats and sheep. If I could get my nannies to have girls instead of boys, we could make goat cheese.

3. Why did you choose to breed and raise dachshunds?

Dachshunds (long haired) are gorgeous dogs, very smart and funny. They are small for your lap, but big with loyalty. I love all hounds, but Dachshunds' different shape and almost-shaped eyes are too hard to resist. The first time I saw a Dachshund, I was in a stationary store, and when I took a seat, the red pillow next to me moved and I jumped! I looked down and saw these gorgeous brown eyes and long flowing red coat. I didn't even know what kind of dog it was until the owner told me. Then, a week later, I was at Louisiana Paralegal Seminar in New Orleans, and during a break I was walking through the hotel lobby and a lady came off the elevator with two long haired black & tans on a double leash. Their gait was just breathtaking for such short legs, and I was hooked. I rescue many dachshunds from animal shelters and breeders. Sometimes they simply show up in my neighborhood!

4.  Do you have a favorite vegetable or fruit, either to grow or to eat?

Strawberries and tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes, hands down! We are lucky in Louisiana to be able to grow both in several plantings almost year around. A greenhouse has been a great addition to my food supply. We can start our tomato seeds in December and plant in pots in February and in the ground in early April, for early spring tomatoes in May. Strawberries are wonderful, too. Two plantings a year, and they have more vitamin C than oranges, plus they freeze outstandingly well.

5. What is the setting of your farm like?

Our farm is pastoral, with woods to explore and lots of animals to visit. Our farm is prettier to most guests in the spring and summer when the plants and flowers are out, but fall is my favorite time! We may not have the foliage changes like up in the northeast, but to me Louisiana is beautiful in the fall.  It could also be that after our hot summers, we are charmed by the cooler weather.

Our pool area is very nice and can feel very private, as it's surrounded by hibiscus, but you can be floating in the pool and look out and see beautiful horses grazing 100 feet away. We have herb gardens and raised beds with seasonal veggies to admire and when we have an abundant crop, we are more than happy to let you pick some to take home with you.

6. What do most of your guests do during their stay?

They walk around the farm, get to know the petting zoo animals, pick veggies in high season, take a hike on the horse trails through the 45 acres, trail ride after breakfast, read a book on the patio, swim, fish the stocked ponds, or take a nap in a hammock (my favorite when I have time!)  They also get to choose what they are going to have for breakfast the next morning.  Every guest gets a menu with four to five items to choose from. No generic breakfast casserole is served in my dining room!

7. Your B&B includes three guest bedrooms - "The Queens' Suite," "La Louisiane," and "Ponderosa." You also offer a furnished guest apartment with six bunk beds. Could you tell us about the décor and your decorating philosophy?

I wanted each bedroom to be different. The Queens' Suite is called that because two
people both think it's their room -- my mother and my best friend. La Louisiane was the name of my favorite restaurant in the French quarter. Lots of French people come to visit us, and they love staying in that room. It's decorated in purple, green, and gold, and full of Louisiana literature and history. Ponderosa features wooden beams, and knotted pine paneled walls, and it opens on screen porch. It is our most rustic room, with a Texas Cowboys and Indians theme since I'm from Texas. The Bunkhouse is our family accommodation; it sleeps up to 10, with bunk beds, and a pullout bed.

My decorating philosophy is really about comfort. I use 1000+ thread count sheets, down comforters, and thick towels. We iron all the sheets. It's luxurious even though you're on a farm. We also offer flat-screen TVs, DVD players and board games. There's so much to do here!

8. Anything more you'd like to add?

I am very blessed to be living my dream -- being in the country, surrounded by animals, cooking for people, decorating for the seasons, and having a very wonderful husband and children who support my dream and like my mother-in-law told me, "You have vision!  I am so proud of you!"  I am proud of me, too, and of Splendor Farms!

----

Photo credits: Carl Bordelon Photography

"A book is like a garden carried in the pocket." ~ Chinese Proverb

Back in November, we asked our farmers and ranchers what they might read this winter, when they ostensibly had a little more free time for such leisurely pursuits. Here are a few of their answers.

(Links provided are our affiliate links with Changing Hands Bookstore, an independent business in Tempe, AZ.)

Both of us here in the Farm Stay U.S. office just finished The Dirty Life: A Memoir of Farming, Food, and Love by Kristin Kimball, as did Kim of Grand View Farm in Vermont. It's also one of the prizes for our photo contest!

Kim next plans to read Year of Plenty by Craig Goodwin.

Penelope of Canyon Wren Farm in Colorado intends to look at Gaia's Garden, as well as perusing the seed catalogs, looking for tomato varieties to grow. She's looking for the perfect heriloom varieties, as well as a great paste tomato!

Penelope recommends to our readers the book Claiming Ground by Laura Bell.

The Schrock Family from Mojeji Ranch in Missouri is planning to read The One Straw Revolution: An Introduction to Natural Farming by Masanobu Fukuoka.

How about you, readers? Leave us a comment below and let us know what's on your reading list this winter!

Though alpacas don't have a long history in the United States, according to Brian Leach, who directs marketing at Sunset Hills Farm Alpacas, alpaca farmers are a tightly knit -- and quickly growing -- community. There is a lot of enthusiasm and energy surrounding alpacas, and to many of the people who dedicate their time to raising them, alpacas are not just a business but also a hobby and a passion. As Brian Leach explains, alpacas are an eco-friendly choice of livestock, since they clip the turf like a lawnmower, providing gentle pasture management. Alpaca fleece is also hypo-allergenic and extraordinarily soft, and alpacas tend to have sweet personalities and gentle dispositions.

Sunset Hills Farm sits on 47 rolling acres in Western Pennsylvania, 45 minutes north of Pittsburgh, and a few hours south of Lake Erie and Niagara Falls. With a herd of 100 Accoyo and Peruvian alpacas, by U.S. standards Sunset Hills is considered a large alpaca farm. The farm was founded in 1997 by Dr. David and Laurye Feller, who take tremendous pride in their award-winning alpaca herd. As Mr. Leach tells me, "We're a farm that produces champions; real stars have a permanent home here."

Sunset Hills Farm has become more diverse and dynamic as it has grown - beyond specializing in breeding and selling champion alpacas, the farm also offers an onsite alpaca boutique called Alpaca de Moda, a B&B with two distinct properties, the Sunrise and the Stargazer, and property rentals for special events, including weddings. At Alpaca de Moda, the farm sells its own luxurious, multi-award winning alpaca yarn and locally hand-knit sweaters, hats, and gloves plus imported alpaca garments.

All kinds of guests come for the B&B. Some are interested in raising alpacas themselves (and some will be by the time they leave!), while others are traditional vacationers simply looking for a nice place to stay while they enjoy the golf courses, festivals, hiking, biking, orchards, and farmers markets of the surrounding area. For those interested in raising alpacas, guests have the option of shadowing the farm manager, and helping with chores that may include feedings, grooming, and shearing the alpacas. Guests are also welcome to collect eggs from the farm's small flock of a dozen chickens.

Guests choose between two properties, the Sunrise, a traditional three-bedroom, two bath log cabin, or the Stargazer, a two-story, two-bedroom, two bath apartment built into the alpaca barn. Rates for the B&B start at $99/night. Brian stresses the Stargazer's unique appeal: from the inside, it looks like country cottage while from the outside it's an old-fashioned barn. The Stargazer's windows also look directly out onto the alpaca habitat, and toward the surrounding hills and valleys. The Stargazer close in winter, while the Sunset is available for year round stays. Delicious breakfast options might include a frittata or quiche, including ingredients from the garden, or fresh baked goods from local bakeries or the farm kitchen.

For more information about Sunset Hills Farm, including contact information, check out the listings for the Stargazer and the Sunrise on Farm Stay U.S.

This blog post was written by Susan Gibbs of Juniper Moon Farm and originally appeared on her blog. She has kindly given us permission to re-post it here, and we hope it will inspire our readers to get out there and take some photos for the Farm Stay U.S. 2011 photo contest!

Taking Better Animal Photos by Susan Gibbs

Let me start me start with a disclaimer: as a photographer, I make a very good shepherd. I have almost no training whatsoever in photography and everything you're about to read is based on nothing more than years of trial and error and figuring out what works for my own pictures.

I do, however, get asked all the time how I get the shots of my flock that I post on the blog. I'm happy to share my secrets, if you can call them that. BTW, all of the photos in this post are unedited because I want to show you what you can do no matter what kind of camera or software you have.

1. Take more pictures. Lots more. The more you shoot, the greater the odds are that you'll get one good one. It isn't unusual at all for me to take 300 or 400 shots in an afternoon and, if I'm lucky, I'll have three or four photos I consider worth posting on the blog. If you are using a point-and-shoot camera, your odds will be a bit longer because most point-and-shoots don't work as quickly as animals move. It was the frustration with that lag time that led me to buy my first digital SLR and I would never consider shooting animals with anything else.

2. Get down on your subjects level. This is the easiest way to improve your photos of animals and probably children. I see so many pictures of lambs on other peoples blog that are clearly taken standing above the animal, and, cute though the lamb may be, the pictures just aren't very compelling.

This isn't always easy to do. Some times I have to lay flat on the ground in the barnyard or on the floor of the barn to get good shots. Sometimes I pick the animal up and bring him/her up to my level. It definitely helps to wear clothes that you don't mind getting dirty in.

Here are a couple of examples of what I'm talking about:

shot from above

shot from the goats' eye level

chicks from above

chicks eye level

In both of the first pictures you can tell that the animals are cute but the in the second pictures you can really see them.

3. Get closer. Then get closer still. You really want to fill up the frame with the subject.

too far

closer

See the difference? And while we're on the subject, unless you're shooting man-eating tigers, zoom with your feet, not your lens.

close, but not close enough

much better!

4. It's all about the eyes. Okay so now you're on the animals level and your really, really close. Start shooting and look for moments when the animal is looking at you full on, where both eyes are on you.

This is an okay shot but…

this one is orders of magnitude better.

There is no way to get these kind of shots without taking many, many, many pictures. Here's another example:

Almost.

Very close. I probably would have gone with this pic had I not gotten a better one.

This. This is exactly what I wanted this picture to do. You can really see this lamb's personality in this photo.

One more example:

Pretty good.

Much better

Of course, not every picture has to have the animal looking directly into the camera, but if he's not, then it should be deliberately so, as in this pic:

I hope you'll find these little tricks helpful. Play around with them, take loads of pictures and let me know what you think.

Photographs are an integral part of the Farm Stay U.S. website, telling our stories in pictures. For the farmer or rancher, it might be a newborn calf or a hayfield at harvest; for the guest, eggs found by a child or a backdrop of buffalo against majestic mountains. Photos connect us.

With that in mind, we're having a contest! Submission Deadline: December 31, 2011, 11:59PM, PST.

We want to find six wonderful images to feature as our rotating photographs on the Home page of Farm Stay U.S. The winning photos will have photographer credit, link directly to the farm or ranch of origin, and will be seen by every visitor to the site. Additionally, winners will receive a copy of the book The Dirty Life, by Kristin Kimball, and an "Eat. Love. Farm" or "Who's Your Farmer?" t-shirt.

How to participate:

• Take photos at your farm/ranch/vineyard stay, and encourage your guests to do so too!
  
  
• Submit photos to the 'We Love Farm Stays & Guest Ranches' Flickr pool. Instructions can be found on both the For Farms tab, and the For Guests tab on our website.
  
  
• The photos do not need to be newly taken as of this announcement. They may be older photos from your farm stay.

Other considerations:

• Photos may be emailed to info@farmstayus.com in lieu of posting on Flickr. Farm Stay U.S. staff will then post the photos to the group.
  
  
• Photos must be submitted by the photographers themselves, must be titled with the farm name, and have a tag of "FSUSContest2011".
  
  
• Photos should be horizontal and have a minimum size of 620x290 pixels.
  
  
• There is no limit on the number of photographs that can be submitted by one photographer. Flickr only allows six photos to be submitted at one time to the group, so if you have more, please continue to submit them separately.
  
  
• Winners will be selected by our panel of three impartial judges and the announcement will be made by the end of January, 2012.
  
  
• Winners will be contacted via Flickr, so be sure to use a working email address when you register there.
  
  
• Photographers retain all rights to their photos. By entering this contest, the photographer agrees that their photo may be used on the Farm Stay U.S. website and in other promotional materials.
  
  

Contact kate@farmstayus.com with any questions about the contest or the submission process.

"This place is like an undiscovered gem," says Bridget McNees, who along with her husband Mac owns Whit's End Ranch outside of Clifton, Tennessee. Many of Bridget's "camping cabin" guests agree, and once they arrive they can't help but call on their friends to come join them, saying, "You're not gonna believe this place. You have to come out here." As Bridget tells me, one cabin rental often becomes three.

The Ranch is a 307-acre parcel of land. At Whit's End, there is plenty to explore: forest, trails, hayfields where a neighboring farmer cuts hay, 27 acres of pasture, creeks and rivers, and a beach perfect for swimming for kids and adults both. Guests choose from seven secluded cedar cabins made of wood harvested and hand-milled on the property by Bridget and Mac. The seven cabins combined can sleep up to 25. Bridget calls them "camping cabins," but these are far from roughing it in a tent.

The cabins are private, set back in the woods, and come complete with fridges, microwaves, linens, heat, air conditioning, and covered porches. There's also a communal outdoor kitchen and grill. Guests get the perks of a hotel room and of camping, both in one place, and they don't have to pack anything but food. Bridget, who has camped all over the U.S. and Canada, is a warm and amiable host. Guests seem to become quick friends with her (and with each other).

Bridget is more than willing to show guests her various building projects around the property, and to teach them what she knows about construction if they're interested. Guests can also learn to mill lumber and drive the tractor to help with forestry work and maintenance. But most of

them focus on "kicking back and relaxing" on the creek side beach, Bridget says. She tells me she's not planning to build any more cabins, so that the kind of vacation Whit's End offers is always going to be an idyllic, "Pollyanna-type" experience.

The area around the ranch is full of activities: horseback riding at Green River Stables, where Whit's End guests get a special deal, canoeing on the Buffalo River, or golfing at a Jack Nicklaus signature golf course. Despite all the attractions, says Bridget, the area is very quiet for all it has to offer.

The town of Clifton is an historic riverboat port with well-preserved old-time lanterns and cobblestone pathways. The small town has everything you need -- restaurants, a dock, a pharmacy, and Bridget's favorite, a "beautiful little café" that she likes to recommend to guests for breakfast and lunch, and for the "eye candy" antiques that the café owner sells onsite.

Whit's End Ranch offers 7 cabins that rent for $75 (no kitchenette) to $100 (with kitchenette) a night. Cabins sleep up to four guests, and all are welcome to use the outdoor barbeque and common area kitchen.  For more information,including Bridget McNees' contact information, check out the Whit's End Ranch Farm Stay U.S. listing.

Guest post by Kevin Pearia, USDA Loan Program.

While the damage done by Hurricane Irene may not resonate with the U.S. like the damage and destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina, it has still left lasting impacts on many of our fellow farms in the Farm Stay circle. Hurricane Irene was the first hurricane to make landfall on certain states in over a hundred years, and left many communities under feet of water and battered from wind damage.

However, all hope is not lost for the farms, ranches, and rural communities in the Northeast. The USDA has recently suggested that it will be providing assistance to those in Presidentially deemed disaster areas.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to all who have suffered losses caused by this massive storm," stated Tom Vilsack, Agriculture Secretary. "USDA is ready to provide food, emergency assistance and other resources to the affected areas. We continue to closely coordinate with many partners to meet the immediate and plan for the long-term needs of those affected by Hurricane Irene."

What Types of Assistance are Available?

The USDA is currently providing a wide variety of assistance, and each are offered through different programs within the department. The basic types of assistance being offered include:

• Food Assistance
• Housing Assistance
• Farmer and Rancher Assistance
• Community Assistance
• Business Assistance
• Utility Assistance

Who Do We Contact for Assistance?

Although there are several types of aid offered and many are being offered through different departments, there are three key departments who should be contacted first for assistance:

• USDA Farm Service Agency Service Center for crop and livestock loss
• Rural Development Office for housing, business, or community assistance
• Natural Resources Conservation Service for debris removal

Who is Eligible?

As long as you are in an area deemed a disaster area by the President of the United States you should be eligible for assistance. Call your local USDA Farm Service Agency Service Center for further details concerning eligibility.

We hope that farms damaged by Hurricane Irene will be able to fully recover so that they can join our network once again, and keep bringing the joy of the farm into the lives of others.

Photos: Bradley Farm in New Palz, NY (not a farm stay but a farmer's dream, nonetheless, that was severely damaged by the storm!)

Serenity Sheep Farm is a diverse homestead farm in Montana's Gallatin Valley, with two cozy, antique Sheepherder's wagons restored just for farm stay guests. We recently spoke with shepherdess LaVonne Stucky about her unique farm stay. Here's the scoop:

3. How did you get the idea for your unusual farm stay lodging: two sheepherder's wagons? Do you know of any other farms where guests sleep in wagons?

I know of other wagons for rent, but not in a farm setting.  Having sheep I was always in love with they lifestyle of the shepherds who tended their flock.  There are still many around to this day and they lead a very solitary life.  Serenity and solitude are just the respite many are seeking today, if only for a day or two.  When I saw an ad in the local classified newspaper for a sheepherder's wagon for sale, I waited.  I gave it a week or two.  The ad was still there, so I called and the rest is history. Let's just say the inside of the Winona didn't look a thing like it does now!

4. What is a typical day for your farm stay guests?

The stay can be as private or interactive as they'd like.  Quite often they will do the chores with me in the morning and they love interacting with the animals.

5. Aside from your farm, what else do your guests come to do in the area?

We have so many things available in the area, like the Museum of the Rockies, fishing, hiking, biking, hot springs, caverns and lots of other things to see and do.  We have lots of great places to eat in the area and a lot of them specialize in local foods.

6. What made you want to work with sheep and fiber?

It was sort of a happy accident.  A friend of mine was raising sheep and 2 of them were born on my birthday.  I got to name them.  Thinking back, I am sure she had this in mind all along, but I wound up buying those 2 girls.  Two sheep led to too many, as I like to say, and here we are.  I call it a hobby run amuck!  So what do you do with all of that fiber?  Marketing it has not been an easy road for me.  Twenty years later I long for a "cult following" of spinners and knitters, but that hasn't happened.  I do have a handful of folks who love my wool and I am grateful to them and for them.  When I discovered needle felting about 10 years ago, I felt like I had finally found the reason I have sheep.  It had come full-circle for me.  Now I wish I only had more time to needle felt!