Maybe it happens when you’re stuck in traffic. Or maybe it’s during a family trip to the zoo.
It’s the fantasy of giving it all up and living on a farm.
The best of both worlds comes together in farm stays. You get to live on a working farm for a few days — work on the farm, eat the organic farm food and sleep in a cozy farm cabin. And when you’re ready to return to reality, you can leave the farm behind and return to your normal life. Here are some great options:
Cold Moon Farm
Jamaica, Vt.
Details: Stay in this cozy bed-and-breakfast situated on a farm. The B&B has an outdoor hot tub, a game room and even an exercise room. When you wake, you may be treated to breakfasts prepared from freshly gathered eggs and homemade yogurt.
Be a farmer: Gather eggs, feed the goats and sheep, fish, plant and pick vegetables and clean up the barn.
Other areas to explore: Cold Moon is three miles from the Stratton Mountain Ski and Golf Resort and 15 miles from outlet shops at Manchester Center’s downtown area. There are a variety of restaurants within a five-mile radius.
Price: Starting at $185 per night
For more information: 802-297-3258, coldmoonfarm.com
Hull-O Farms
Durham, N.Y.
Details: Live in one of three private guesthouses on this 18th century farm. In return for all your hard work, you’ll be treated to breakfast and dinner. Meals consist of freshly picked produce and all-natural grass-fed meats.
Be a farmer: Milk the cows and the goats, collect eggs, feed the pigs and bottle-feed small farm animals.
Other areas to explore: Just one minute away is Zoom Flume, one of the best water parks in New York. Or drive 45 minutes to Howe Caverns, an incredible cave and adventure park that is the second-most popular natural attraction in the state after Niagara Falls.
Price: Starting at $140 per adult per night
For more information: 518-239-6950, hull-o.com
Blackberry Farm
Walland, Tenn.
Details: It’s perhaps the most upscale farm in existence, so if you want a luxury hotel experience on a 4,200-acre farm nestled in the Great Smoky Mountains, this is it. Enjoy everything from tennis to spa treatments to fly-fishing.
Be a farmer: Feed the sheep, llamas and chickens and harvest the produce. You could also do the “Day in the life of the master gardener” package ($250 per person), where you shadow the gardener and do everything from picking carrots to planting seeds, learning a lot about gardening along the way.
Other areas to explore: The hotel itself offers horseback riding, canoeing and cooking classes for an additional fee. Or it will lend you a Lexus free to check out Great Smoky Mountains National Park or to visit Benton’s Smoky Mountain Country Hams.
Price: Starting at $395 per night.
For more information: 865-984-8166, blackberryfarm.com
Pagett Farm
Palermo, Maine
Details: On this 63-acre organic working farm, guests stay in platform tents or yurts furnished with beds, rugs and even fireplaces. Feast on a complimentary breakfast of locally grown eggs, bacon and homemade granola.
Be a farmer: Feed the small animals, collect eggs, feed the goats, work in the garden and harvest vegetables.
Other areas to explore: Enjoy swimming, boating and fishing three miles away at Lake St. GeorgeState Park or at Sheepscot Lake. If you want to drive 11/2 hours, you’ll reach the famed Acadia National Park.
Price: Starting at $149 for two adults per night.
For more information: 207-993-2500 pagettfarm.com
Country Log House Farm
Mount Joy, Pa.
Details: The four small air-conditioned rooms with private bathrooms within the working farm/bed-and-breakfast are cozy and comfortable. A daily homemade breakfast is included.
Be a farmer: Feed the chickens and sheep, milk the goats, collect eggs and take a hayride to explore a nearby dairy farm.
Other areas to explore: Wineries, hiking trails and golf are all within a five-minute drive. Or go swimming, boating and fishing at the Susquehanna River, which is also minutes away.
Price: Starting at $110.
For more information: countryloghouse.com
