Stoney Creek Farm, Lake Lure, North Carolina

The owners of Stoney Creek Farm have been welcoming guests for the past 7 years to their picturesque property in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. With pet goats, grazing horses, and chickens providing eggs for breakfast, visitors truly feel down home on the farm.

Stoney Creek Farm can accomodate up to 5 guests in their charming log cabin. Meals are self-prepared in the fully equipped kitchen, and all linens are provided. Children under 12 are welcome, and guests may bring pets.

Zion Hill Farm and Gardens, Preston, Connecticut

This 200 acre farm, located about 30 minutes north of Mystic, Connecticut, features alpacas, donkeys, and chickens, and is home to a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) enterprise. Guests enjoy hiking along the Quinebaug River, or just relaxing around the farm.

Zion Hill Farm can accommodate up to 4 guests in a private bedroom and bath. A full breakfast each morning is included and features fresh eggs and produce from the garden. Children under 12 are welcome, as are pets, and wedding parties.

Three Bear Holler, Clyde, North Carolina

Situated on sixty private acres in the Smoky Mountains of Western North Carolina, Three Bear Holler's settlers cabins are full of vintage charm. Dating back to the late 1800s and early 1900s, they've been lovingly restored with modern amenities. The farm raises their own beef, chicken, vegetables, fruit trees, honeybees, and berries.

The two cabins at Three Bear Holler can accommodate up to 4 guests. Meals are self prepared in the full kitchen, and parties and other groups or special events are welcome.

Hoehn Bend Farm, Sedro-Wooley, Washington

This small working farm in Skagit County, Washington, is home to a developing herd of heritage Irish Dexter cattle (the smallest breed of cattle) and Shetland sheep. Add in a friendly pot-bellied pig, barn cats, and a Collie puppy, and guests enjoy a fun, active farm experience.

Hoehn Ben Farm can accommodate up to 6 guests in their remodeled farm house. Meals are self prepared in the full kitchen. Children under 12 are welcome, as are parties and special events.

D.A.'s "US" Organic Farm, Pleasant Hill, Oregon

This 100 acre organic farm, located near the Willamette National Forest, grows organic forage crops and practices intensive management grazing for livestock. Guests may help with daily chores, such as feeding rabbits, horses, and barn cats, and preparing soil for planting.

Guests enjoy lodge style accommodations with private master bedrooms, with a capacity of up to 18. Meals are served family style. Children under 12 are welcome. The farm allows weddings, parties, and other events, and guests may bring horses or pets.

On June 2-3 this year, glamping aficionados all over the country will gather together and celebrate the (comfy, fluffy, elegant) outdoors.

What is glamping? Picture tents with beds, fully-furnished yurts, antique sheepherder wagons, or spots to park your own adorably restored vintage camper.

While the term may be relatively new, the concept of glamping dates back to the early 1900s, when American and European travlers stayed in luxurious tent accommodations while on safari in Africa. Today's glampers still seek out close-to-nature locales while opting for comfort in their lodgings. Farm fresh and organic foods round out the experience.

You can find glamping opportunities on our search page. Click on Show More Search Options, then open the Amenities tab.

Alternatively, visit the National Glamping Weekend website, and find a gathering to join!

Photos: Willow Witt Ranch, Pagett Farm

Ovenell's Heritage Inn at Double O Ranch, Concrete, Washington

This 580 acre working cattle ranch is nestled in the rugged foothills of the North Cascades, along the Skagit River. Enjoy abundant wildlife, and seasonal ranch activities like the round-up in September, or the birthing of calves starting in February.

Ovenell's Heritage Inn can accommodate up to 43 guests -- anywhere from 4 in a cabin or 6-8 in a guest house. Meals are self-prepared, breakfast may be included. Children under 12 are welcome, as are pets, weddings, private parties, and other special events.

Flip Flop Ranch, Lucerne Valley, California

Described as "the middle of nowhere" by the farmers (yet close enough to all the big sights), Flip Flop ranch is situated on 40 acres in the high desert of Southern California. They specialize in raising endangered heritage livestock, like Cotton Patch Geese (pictured), rare breeds of chickens, and more.

The farm can accommodate up to 24 guests with a variety of rooming options. Meals are are self-prepared in the full kitchen, or shared family style. Children under 12 are welcome, as well as wedding parties, reunions, and other special events.

Happy Hills Alpaca Farm, Monroe, North Carolina

Located less than 30 miles from Charlotte, North Carolina, the denizens of Happy Hills Alpaca farm invite you to relax among the shade trees and watch the alpacas graze. Guests can simply enjoy their surroundings, learn to spin alpaca fiber into yarn, or get down and dirty with alpaca training.

The farm can accommodate up to 4 guests at a time with a guest bedroom and an RV. Meals are included with family style dining, cookouts, and refreshments. The farm allows one well-behaved child under 12, as well as weddings, parties, and other special events.

Roman Braun founded the family farm in 1962. Now his daughter Theresa and her three daughters, Rachel, Crystal, and Stefanie, run the farm. When I asked Theresa why she chose to take over her father's farm, she says, "I can't really describe why. I think it's in my blood. I always loved the farm ... if you love farming, it's just something you want to do."

The farm is 40 acres, with 15 acres of apples, peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots, and berries that visitors can pick themselves. Theresa says that the sweet and juicy peaches, plums, and nectarines are her favorites - she especially recommends Red Haven peaches. She also loves their apples, the crop for which the farm is most well known. Theresa describes her favorite variety honeycrisp as "really crispy, and just the right amount of sweet and tart."

Draper Girls Farm is also known as one of Oregon's few remaining licensed producers of non-pasteurized, unfiltered ciders. The farm offers apple, pear, and cherry cider, as well as delicious blends like cherry-apple, pear-apple, and the new raspberry-apple. Non-pasteurized cider has a fuller, richer flavor than pasteurized cider. Theresa says that drinking raw cider is almost like eating an apple or a handful of cherries, but with even more flavor. Unpasteurized ciders can start to ferment much sooner than pasteurized ciders, but the farm follows strict licensing and monitoring procedures to maintain its quality and shelf life.

For visitors who have a full day or week to spend in the area, Draper Girls Farm is a stop along the Hood River County "Fruit Loop", a driving tour with dozens of stops at orchards, wineries, lavender farms, and even a chestnut farm and an alpaca farm.

In addition to fruit, Roman Braun had always raised sheep. Theresa and her daughters added goats, mini-goats, llamas, chickens, turkeys, and geese. The Draper Girls sell their grass-fed goat and lamb meat at farmers markets and at their onsite farm stand.

Theresa has grown the farm through a rise in direct to consumer sales. She started the U-pick operation, her favorite way to sell produce. Theresa says, "The U-pick is really fun. People from the city get a feel for how we grow things, and they bring their kids to run around. Our yard has flowers all over it, we have a great big swing, and we have an old tractor that kids like to sit on for photos. We love that visitors feel at home when they visit our farm."

In Roman Braun's time, says Theresa, there were no farmers markets, and all their sheep were sold at auction. People came by the farm to buy large boxes of fruit for canning and drying, but direct-to-consumer sales were not a major part of the business.

In 2007, Theresa decided to add a farm stay. She invited guests to rent the little farmhouse where she lived as a child and where she raised her own children.

Farm guests are invited to feed the animals, pick fruit, roam the farm, and participate in farm activities throughout the year. Venturing off the farm, they can tour the Fruit Loop, taste wine, visit the City of Hood River or Mt. Hood, and hike, bike, and wind surf, among many other activities

Though many people wouldn't think to visit a fruit farm in the winter or early spring, Theresa says it is a neat time of year on the farm. To growers it is called 'frost season,' and it is a vital time for ensuring that fruit trees yield a viable crop. During nightly freezes, the Drapers save their crops by running wind machines and overhead sprinklers that form droplets on the trees and their buds. The droplets, as they freeze, release heat and once frozen also provide essential insulation from the cold and wind.

Theresa says that the farmhouse has everything guests could want. She explains that she and her daughters fixed it up with bright cheerful colors. It has a fireplace, lots of antiques, and a big farm table where families can gather. The house is casual, not fancy, and family friendly. According to Theresa, "People who stay there really like it!"

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For more information about visiting Draper Girls Country Farm, check out their Farm Stay U.S. listing or their farm website. The Draper Girls cottage has four bedrooms and two baths and rents for $150 to $275/night.

All photos in this blog courtesy Draper Girls Country Farm.

	Paca Pride Guest Ranch, Granite Falls, Washington Enjoy a bit of rustic resort "glamping" in these yurts, located in the Cascade Mountains north of Seattle. Situated along the historic gold rush Robe Valley of the Mountain Loop Highway, Paca Pride becomes home base from which to explore the area. Relax with the alpacas and learn about their fiber, and see permaculture in action. Paca Pride Guest Ranch can accommodate up to 60 guests -- anywhere from 2 in a guest room, 4 in the yurt, or 10 on each camping platform. The yurt is fully furnished and has electricity and heat. Meals are self-prepared in the full kitchen. Children under 12 are welcome, as are pets, weddings, private parties, and other special events.
	Iron Cloud Ranch, Clyde, Kansas Private hunting is the draw here at Iron Cloud Ranch, located in North Central Kansas. They also grow speciality vegetables, and practice hydroponics. Enjoy nature walks and mushroom hunting, or join the owner for guided hunting or fishing. The private cabin can accommodate up to 6 guests. Meals are made to order, or can be self-prepared with organic and locally grown food. Children under 12 are welcome, as are pets, horses, weddings, reunions, and other special events.
	Taos Cultural Farm Visits, Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico Tucked away in the high valleys of Northern New Mexico, Taos Cultural Farm Visits offers visitors a glimpse at an historic lifestyle. This consortium of farms and ranches works together to offer a wide variety of experiences for visitors. Guests can take cooking classes, go horseback riding, help with organic farming, and so much more. Accommodations and amenities will vary by farm, so guests should contact them for more information.
	3 Arrows Ranch, Ellensburg, Washington Lush green pastures beckon on this family farm, located just east of the Cascade Range in Washington. Guests are invited to take part in daily chores, like gathering eggs or milking cows, make cheese and ice cream with farm fresh milk, or just spend time playing together as a family. There are four RV sites available at the farm, with a total capacity of 24. A family of up to six (2 adults, 4 children) can also choose to stay in the farm's RV. All meals can be provided or self-prepared in the full kitchen or make use of the barbeque. Children under 12 are welcome, as are parties and family reunions.

Stay tuned for Part II!

Cherry Hill Farm, Cheraw, South Carolina

The Dawg House, a cheery vacation cabin at Cherry Hill Farm, is a perfect South Carolina getaway for pet lovers. Nestled next to a pond and a young hardwood plantation, the cabin offers a relaxing spot from which to head out and fish, watch birds and other wildlife, and even bring your art supplies and do some painting.

Cherry Hill Farm can accommodate two guests in the cabin, which features a queen bed, private bath, living area, and a small full kitchen for self-prepared meals. All pets are welcome, as are children under 12, weddings, family reunions, and other special events.

Featherfoot Farm, Aurora, Maine

A beautiful, organic, homsteading farm in downeast Maine, Featherfoot Farm offers guests the opportunity to enjoy the farm life with their organic gardens, horses, cows, and goats. And don't forget the chickens!

The private, three bedroom guest house can accommodate up to six guests. A 16' x 16' cabin can accommodate two and features a loft and woodstove. Breakfast and dinner are served family style, and there is a full kitchen. The farm welcomes children under 12, weddings, parties, and other special events, and they also offer children's camps.

Farm Stay U.S. recently had the pleasure of asking Karen about her organization, ranching in Montana, all of the great press Montana Bunkhouses has received, and more. We're excited to share her answers here. Photo credits for all the photos in this blog go to Montana Bunkhouses.

1. Montana Bunkhouses is a group of 20 working guest ranches that have teamed up to  offer guests a great selection of authentic cowboy experiences. How and why did the group form?

Families who want to pass their ranches down to the next generation are under increasing economic pressure to sell out. To give ranchers another option, I formed an agritourism cooperative, modeled after the European Farm Holiday program. The supplementary income each host ranch receives will hopefully help future generations to sustain their ranching way of life. We are able to offer a variety of authentic cowboy experiences, because that is exactly what we are, authentic. Ranching is a labor of love; we do not ranch because it is easy, we ranch because it is who we are. Montana Bunkhouses provides a gateway for others to share and understand our disappearing way of life.

2. What kinds of experience do your guest ranches offer? You act as a matchmaker between guests and ranches: how do you know which ranch is the best for for a particular guest?

I am a native Montanan with ranching roots and I guess you could say I'm a travel coordinator and matchmaker. I know these ranchers personally, they are my friends and neighbors, and I understand what makes each of them unique. I devote myself to getting to know guests as well, not just as potential customers, but also as friends. Developing personal connections with our guests means I am able to match them to a ranch not just based on their interests, but also based on their personalities. My goal is to match guests with a ranch that will give them the authentic ranching experience, with emphasis on the areas they find most interesting, and introduce them to people who will become "family" during their visit.

3. There's a cluster of your ranches concentrated east of Bozeman and west of Billings. What's special about that area?

The idea for Montana Bunkhouse Working Ranch Vacations started where I live in southwestern Montana, and the participating ranches now stretch border to border -- each in dramatic landscapes -- across the entire state. It is a great benefit for our guests that the area with the highest concentration of ranches is within the distance of a day's excursion to Yellowstone National Park.

4. What sets Montana ranch vacations apart from ranch vacations elsewhere in the U.S.?

"Saddle Up" and experience a part of the Old West that still exists.  We love sharing the ranching way of life and what comes with it.  With over twenty Montana Cattle Ranches hosting guests, we offer a wide range of choices. Working ranch vacations offer more than just head to tail horseback riding. Guests participate in seasonal ranch activities while learning about conservation practices and sustainable ranching in the Rocky Mountains. It is traditional for ranch families to get together during brandings or roundups or cattle drives and they welcome guests to join them. Guests enjoy the camaraderie and appreciate the skill involved in the roping and wrangling. Springtime in the Rockies brings the perfect combination of nature and nurture. During calving and lambing guests can make a difference -- watching expecting mothers, reading the weather, and lending a hand in preserving new life. Something vital fills each and every day.

5. What's your background? How did you end up with such an unusual and fascinating job?

Ranching is in my blood. I grew up on a cattle and sheep ranch in southwestern Montana, and am sympathetic to the challenges of the family farm. I am the galvanizing force behind the agritourism cooperative. I was credited by a former director of Cooperation Works, a national center for cooperative business development, for having put together the first agritourism cooperative of cattle ranches in the United States. The co-op was formed after I was selected as a representative to the 2002 World Congress on Rural Women and Rural Issues in Spain. I see agritourism as a way to help preserve family ranches and to narrow the divide between ranch and city dwellers on land use and wildlife issues. Those objectives have put Montana Bunkhouses on the forefront of a trend in the travel industry labeled "geotourism," travel that sustains or enhances the character of a place, helping to preserve its heritage, habitats and scenic beauty.

6. Is there a 'typical guest' that you work with? What kind of folks crave a Montana working ranch vacation, and what are they looking to do during their stay?

Why do guests come?  Montana is a place where myth has long been in partnership with reality. The kinds of folks who find me on the internet are searching for "working ranch vacations." They are not interested in simply traveling to another destination, they are seeking a life changing experience. Whether they are looking to connect with their roots, or reconnect with their family members, or establish a connection with our ranching way of life, it is all here. We offer the opportunity for them to share the ranching way of life with people who are tied by birth or choice to a part of America that to some feels like the country's soul!

With our working ranch vacations, everything on-ranch is included: comfortable lodging, hearty family style meals and seasonal ranch activities. Rates vary from $1500 to $1900 per week depending on the ranch and the hands-on experience they offer.

7. Your group has gotten a lot of good press! Do you have a favorite article (or two) that you want to share with our readers?

Yes, we have gotten a lot of good press as you can see if you go to our Montana Bunkhouses News Page. The USDA/Rural Developments folks told our story in their national Rural Cooperatives magazine. We've been featured in newspapers in places a far-flung as New York, Chicago, and Sidney, Australia. Respected travel magazines including Condé Nast Traveler and Sunset Magazine have celebrated our unique vacations, as well as journalists in China, Taiwan, Japan, Italy and the United Kingdom. But the one that I'm the most proud of - my favorite, hands down - is being selected for the National Geographic Geotourism MapGuide of the Greater Yellowstone area. Anyone who visits Montana will want to have this map in their back pocket. You can order a free copy of the map from our website, www.montanaworkingranches.com. We are the only Montana ranch vacations to have met National Geographic's criteria for authenticity of experience, culture and heritage. We're proud of that.

8. What has changed for the ranches since your group formed? What changes do you foresee in the future?

Change is measured in generations in Montana. Our agritourism cooperative is just starting its second decade, so we can only speculate what the longer term impact will be for the ranchers down the line.  Already, the diversified income from agritourism has provided everything from money to remodel a kitchen right on down to the money necessary to make the next ranch loan payment. In some cases it means the difference on whether the ranch family's son or daughter can return home so they can carry the ranching traditions on to the next generation. But the benefit is not just measured in dollars and cents. We enjoy sharing our way of life. It jogs us off-center so we don't simply take for granted what we've been born to do because we see our ranching world through our guest's eyes and it brings us joy.

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To contact Karen, send an email to karen@montanabunkhouses.com, call 406-223-6101, or visit Montana Bunkhouses Farm Stay U.S. page. Karen likes to warn potential guests with a wink: "Caution!  Working Ranch Vacations may be habit forming."

Thanks to Montana Bunkhouse Ranches for the use of the photos in this blog.

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.

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

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!

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Photo credits: Carl Bordelon Photography