STEP #46

Stay Down on the Farm

The firsthand experience of spending time on a farm is an easy reminder of how simple it is to live life without the use of petroleum-derived products.

So when it comes to kicking the oil habit, a number of sites across the United States are welcoming visitors to engage in farm life as a way to relax in nature while being reminded of methods that have a positive impact on the environment.

For instance, a stay at Shalom Orchard Organic Farm, Winery and Bed and Breakfast in Franklin, Maine, combines relaxation and education, offering classes on organic growing, natural animal care, and even wine making. Designed to meet the interests ofguests, daily topics and activities may include building soil organically, composting, organic weed and insect management and the philosophy and economics oforganic growing.

At Lapis Lane Guest House—located on six acres in Clinton, Washington—guests enjoy evening walks under old fir and maple trees, hear owls and coyotes, and see eagles soar. Set on the western side of Whidbey Island looking over the Maxwellton Valley, the guest home features bed linens made from 100 percent cotton. And when it comes to cleaning, only nontoxic, low-perfume natural products are used.

At the Burgiss Farm Bed and Breakfast, located on 200 acres in the Blue Ridge Mountains of northwestern North Carolina, guests stay in a 103-year-old farmhouse where a mountain stream runs through the middle of the living room. In addition to hiking, mountain biking, bocce, croquet, deer and wild turkey watching and fishing, visitors can also take a tour of the nearby Thistle Meadow Winery, where they can sample more than 40 different varieties.

Back on the West Coast, Charan Springs Farm in Cambria, California, features secluded mountain cabins, a natural mineral spa, and a working certified organic farm known for its five varieties of avocados and an assortment of healthy produce. Nestled in rolling hills just five miles from the Pacific Ocean, the farm is also renowned for its salad mix and vegetables sold at regional farmers’ markets, local grocery stores, restaurants and by mail-order.

Organic hot breakfasts and shiatsu-massage recliners in every room are signature offerings at the Torrey Schoolhouse Bed and Breakfast, located in a newly renovated 1914 schoolhouse in Torrey, Utah. Close to hiking, biking and horseback-riding trails, the inn provides lodging in a historic pioneer setting, and will soon offer wellness retreats.

At another working farm—the Olde Fogie Farm Bed and Breakfast in Marietta, Pennsylvania—guests can feed chickens and gather eggs, chase fireflies, bird watch and hear stories told by Olde Fogie Farmer. Visitors also have the chance to enjoy a meal with a local Amish family.

So the next time you want to get away from it all, make it simple: spend some time on a farm.