Trend Watch: Farm Stays Make Locavorism An Overnight Thing. Here Are 7 To Book.
The rustic nature vibes at Philo Apple Farm in Mendocino County, California.
You only eat free-range chicken and your Saturday mornings are not complete until you've fondled Swiss chard at the farmer's market. And that off-season pumpkin ravioli served in April? It angers you. Face the facts: Locavorism has slightly taken over your life. Which means when you plan your next getaway you might want it to be a chill one, where berry patches and roaming hens are front and center instead of high thread count sheets and small-batch Scotch in the minibar. Power down and unwind under the trees at these 7 farm stays around the country:
1. Farmhouse Bed and Breakfast
Afternoons spent popping into the tasting rooms of North Fork, Long Island wineries are best rewarded with nights in one of three suites or the spacious beach cottage at the Farmhouse Bed and Breakfast. Proprietor Joyce Barry admits she's not a trained chef, but this "plain old mom who likes to cook and eat" turns out velvety scrambled eggs with chives and Romano. Pick strawberries and raspberries from the lush garden, or for a more immersive culinary experience sign up for one of the yoga retreats, when Barry holds cooking classes centered on local produce. 1855 Depot Lane, Cutchogue, New York, 631-734-8539, thefarmhousebedandbreakfast.com
2. Crow Farm & Vineyard
A farmhouse dating to 1847, along with a few friendly Labrador Retrievers, welcome guests to Crow Farm & Vineyard, located on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. At this stop on the Chesapeake Wine Trail there are pond-side picnic lunches of local cheese and summer sausage made from the farm's grass-fed beef, followed by tastes of thoughtfully crafted wines like Vidal Blanc and Barbera in the historic milk house-turned tasting room. Sleep in an antique-strewn room overlooking the four acres of sustainable vineyards and wake up to baked apples and fresh blueberry smoothies. 12441 Vansants Corner Road, Kennedyville, Maryland, 410-648-5687, crowfarmmd.com
3. Fresh & Wyld Farmhouse Inn and Gardens
Halfway between glitzy Aspen and Telluride, in Colorado's North Fork Valley, is Fresh & Wyld Farmhouse Inn and Gardens. Complete with mountain views and ancient cottonwood trees, the seven-room B&B's quiet surroundings are incentive enough to plan a weekend here. Luckily, chef-owner Dava Parr is a passionate cook whose love for organic ingredients translates to abundant Friday night dinners and Sunday brunches in the airy dining room, which may include sage-lemon-garlic-crusted roast chicken and cumin-tomato egg bakes. In private cooking sessions, Parr reveals how to make dishes like elk burgers and curried kale and chickpeas. 1978 Harding Road, Paonia, Colorado, 970-527-4374, freshandwyld.com
4. Cold Moon Farm Luxury B&B and Farmstay
Breakfast buffets laden with fruit blintz casseroles, jam-smeared sourdough boules, and bacon and sausage from organic-fed great black pigs kick off mornings at the four-suite Cold Moon Farm Luxury B&B and Farmstay in Southern Vermont. Proactive guests help gather just-laid eggs, harvest vegetables and learn how to make pumpernickel-date bread in hands-on workshops. More sedentary gourmands can look forward to the likes of Asian-style pork chops at private farm-to-table dinners. Swank Overlook Cottage, with a fireplace and kitchen of its own, makes its debut this summer, as do the verdant greenhouse and sustainable food-inspired lecture series, Taste and Talk. 251 Pratt Bridge Road, Jamaica, Vermont, 802-297 -3258, coldmoonfarm.com
5. Philo Apple Farm
Heirloom apples are picked and packed by hand from an orchard of 1,700 trees on a biodynamic farm in Mendocino County, California. Stay in the commodious "Room with a View" or one of three color-coded cottages at Philo Apple Farm, where visits are filled with sips of housemade hard cider and pasteurized gold and green apple juice on the porch. During Stay & Cook weekends, guests partake in kitchen duties, helping make three local wine-fueled meals that revolve around dishes like lamb curry and rhubarb shortcake. Before leaving, stock up on apple cider syrup and balsamic vinegar. 18501 Greenwood Road, Philo, California, 707-895-2333, philoapplefarm.com
6. Kinderhook FarmStay
On a 1,200-acre Hudson Valley farm, a band of cattle, sheep, heritage breed pigs, and pasture-raised chickens and hens frolic two and a half hours from the pandemonium of New York City. Here, shack up in the wood-trimmed barn known as the FarmStay at Kinderhook Farm and pass the day tossing horseshoes, snoozing in hammocks and splashing in clandestine swimming holes. This rustic hilltop hideaway is like a private home, complete with an outdoor grill and a full kitchen to whip up dinners with the farm's own grass-fed beef and lamb, accented by herbs plucked from the garden. 1958 County Road 21, Ghent, 518-929-3076, kinderhoookfarmstay.com
7. Holualoa Inn
Rich, aromatic coffee is a sure bet when visiting Kona, Hawaii, and at the ocean-view Holualoa Inn, surrounded by tropical blooms and java orchards, endless cups of the property's own estate brew await. Enjoy them inside one of the six Asian ceramic-bedecked rooms — or the well-worth-the splurge vintage bungalow named after artist Darrell Hill. Come morning, caramelized squash and tomatillo eggs or juicy Waimea strawberries may make an appearance. Between the immaculate pool and swing bands performing in the on-site pavilion, there's little reason to leave. 76-5932 Mamalahoa Highway, Holualoa, Hawaii, 808-324-1121, holualoainn.com
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