We talked to hundreds (thousands?) of people at the Mother Earth
News Fair last weekend. They had lots of questions for us.
For one, "What's the difference between a farm stay and a
B&B?"
For another, "What's the difference between a farm stay and
WWOOFing?"
As an answer, the term 'farm stay' is pretty broad - it just
means you're staying on a working farm for a short time. The 'farm
stay' might be interactive, with the guests helping out with
chores, or it might not be, depending on the needs and wants of the
guests and the farmers. The 'stay' could be on a
working farm B&B, or it could mean camping as a WWOOF
volunteer.
The farm stays listed on this site are ones where guests pay for
their lodging, like a farm B&B or cabin rental, and there's
absolutely no work requirement. These farm stays are great for
people who want to escape to a farm to relax for a weekend, while
getting a closeup view of the source of their food. Many of these
farm stays are especially suited for families with kids, though
some are retreats specifically aimed towards adults.
There are some great resources out there for people interested in
working farm stays, where there's usually a minimum work
requirement and length of stay, and in return the volunteer gets
free or very cheap lodging. For short-term working farm stays, look
to WWOOF, or GrowFood.org.