This Place - Expect - Bring - Smoking - Alcohol
Frequently Asked Questions -- and Some Answers
We have collected some of the most commonly asked questions, and tried to answer them here. We hope that this proves useful for you. If you have a question that is not answered here, please let us know (there is a contact form under "About").
What is this place all about? [Top]
Our intent was to create a place where people (individuals or small groups) could become a part of a farm family for a time. Honestly, if you are just looking for a place to sleep for a night, the local motels do a better job of that. The house is comfortable, but ordinary. It is what you find outside that is exciting.
Of our 125-acres, about 40-acres are fields (farmed organically for hay and grain that supply a local organic dairy), about 50-acres are forest (some human-managed for future generations, some "old grove", managed by a higher authority), and about 20-acres are managed specifically as wildlife habitat (turkey, grouse, blue birds, deer, fox, etc.). The last 15-acres serve a multitude of functions, some of which are noted below.
Pastures
We practice "Managed Intensive Grazing" (MIG) for our horses and cattle. The animals are moved to new pasture every 2 to 3 days. This provides them with desirable (not picked over) and clean (not contaminated with fresh manure) food every day. You will have the option of helping us do this task while you are here (the animals truly appreciate the effort).
The sheep and alpaca have a fixed pasture, but their shelter is movable so that we can provide them with a clean place to sleep when the old one is soiled. Our chickens also have a movable house that travels around in that large pasture area.
The 3-4 acre winter pasture for the horses will lie fallow for the summer (we just mow it and let it rest). It is available for visitors who want to bring their own horses here.
Ponds and other water features
The pond covers about 1/4 acre and teems with frogs, fish, etc. Fishing is not permitted - the fish are too small and it would be a betrayal of trust (you may feed them, if you wish). Swimming and water play are available, but you must arrange a suitable life guard for that.
There are also many natural springs and small trickle-creeks on the property. SO much to discover!!
Playgrounds
We have a large grassy area designated the "playground". It is suitable for all sorts of games (we have bocce and badminton sets available for use). We usually have a few kites, but that is somewhat dependent on the luck and skill of the most recent visitors (it is not far to a store where we can re-stock).
We have considered adding a traditional (slides and swings) play area but we have not done so to date. The primary reason is that the entire 125 acres is a "play" ground with many opportunities to run, climb, crawl, swing, etc. There is a rope swing in the picnic area.
Picnic Areas
The primary picnic area is a grassy area with many shade trees. The visitor center is nearby and it contains a waterless, composting, toilet facility. Hand washing in the picnic area is either hand-sanitizer (provided in the toilet cubicle) or a water from a tank that we fill as needed (soap is provided, although sometimes it seems to disappear).
There is a secondary area, which we call "Stonehenge", that is suitable for evening bonfires, toasting marshmallows, storytelling or simply hanging out. It is cool and peaceful during the day (when it is hot out in the fields).
Gardens
We practice "responsible" gardening. We are not certified organic as we are producing for ourselves and the certification process is a pain. However, the toads are our "pesticide" and a hoe is the "herbicide". Our soil enrichers are horse manure and other composted materials from the farm. The resulting produce is as clean and safe as it is possible to obtain anywhere.
We have a 60'x40' vegetable garden (enough for the house, for canning and a bit for market), a 36' round herb garden (containing every culinary herb that we can find seeds for) and flower gardens of every description.
We have just purchased a greenhouse. It will be 8' wide, 16' long and about 6' tall, when it is assembled. It is currently sitting, in many flat boxes (in about a zillion components) in our hay barn. We are quite excited about getting started on the "some assembly required" part as soon as the ground thaws. Want to come help?
If you would like to see photos of these areas, please visit the Photo Gallery on our other web site.
- Do expect ...
- To see some countryside
- To learn cool stuff
- To experience a different way of life
- To find cats and dogs living in the house (you can close your door if you do not want them in your room)
- To be treated like family - the ones we get along with
- Please Do ...
- Communicate dietary, medical or physical needs (food allergies, etc.)
- Remember that we are all sharing the house and things need to get quiet at night (we farm folks need our sleep in order to be productive)
- Tell others if you enjoy your stay
- Tell us if you do not (or if there are things that we can improve)
- Please Do Not ...
- Be upset that you need to share a bathroom - at least it is inside!
- Bring a pet that has never been socialized with other animals -- he/she will be terrified
- Allow your child to go unsupervised - we consider ourselves very kid-friendly but farms are intrinsically NOT Kid-Proof (children must be supervised at all times)
-
DO Bring ...
- Your camera!
- Play clothes
- A hat with a brim to protect your eyes (and neck) from the sun
- Sunscreen
- More than one pair of shoes - and at least one pair that you do not mind getting (very) dirty
- Swim Suit
- Water shoes (for the pond) if you have them
- Layers - we are at 2200 ft. elevation and, even when it is warm during the day, it cools off quickly when the sun goes down
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Don't Bother to Bring ...
- "Fancy" clothing. You can walk in to the best restaurant in the area in jeans and nobody would even blink
- Soap, shampoo, towels, etc. (unless you have special brands that you do not want to change) - the basic supplies are all provided
- A huge number of clothing items, as you may use the laundry facilities in the farmhouse (please get "checked out" on equipment operation first)
We do not smoke and, for health reasons, we do not allow smoking in the house. However, outside is fine.
- For safety reasons, there is absolutely no smoking in any barn or outbuilding (they burn so fast with all of that hay, straw and old timber)!
- We do appreciate it when smokers keep track of their "butts" and do not leave them on the ground (they look terrible, and some of the birds are silly enough to try to eat them)
We do not provide alcohol as part of our services, but you may supply your own in, if you wish.
- Light (social) and discreet use of potables is fine with us.
- If the situation becomes overly loud, aggressive, or out-of-control, you will be asked to stop, or to leave