Travel: Farm Stay Holidays

Lisa de Silva explains why a farm stay is the perfect antidote to the pressures of today’s fast-paced tech driven world 

A farm stay is the ideal way to relax in the great outdoors, enjoy a simpler lifestyle and reconnect to nature. In fact, it could be just the tonic you need to refresh and rejuvenate your zest for life. 

What is a farm stay holiday? 

Farm stay holidays can take many forms, but all involve a stay on a working farm. The type of accommodation available can include staying in a traditional farmhouse, self- contained cottage or barn, rustic cabin, shepherd’s hut or the farm may provide the facilitiesfor guests to camp, glamp or stay in their own campervan or motorhome. 

While some farms only offer accommodation within a glorious rural setting, others provide optional meals, the chance to engage with farming activities, interact with the animals and learn more about daily life on the farm. 

Many also provide a range of upscale facilities including outdoor hot tubs, indoor heated swimming pools, games rooms, tennis courts, gym, sauna, children’s playgrounds and BBQ areas, to add a touch of luxe to your break. 

This type of holiday falls into the agritourism sector. Farms benefit from the additional income, along with being able to create paying jobs for farm family members, building relationships with the wider community and teaching us more about the rural economy, along with how fresh produce is grown. 

The benefits of a farm stay 

Along with the chance to escape everyday life, a farm stay can provide a multitude of benefits, depending on the type of farm you choose for your break. 

The main advantages include:

The chance to unplug from our phones and immerse ourselves in the soothing rhythms of rural life. 

Being surrounded by countryside, farm animals, wildlife and the sight of tractors rolling over the fields is a calming and soothing experience. 

Getting to know the farm animals: Animal lovers and young children will relish the chance to feed the chickens, pet the lambs, meet the pigs, enjoy donkey rides and try pony trekking, while adults can enjoy horse riding, fishing and bird watching. 

The opportunity to collect free range eggs and savour a selection of farm produce including poultry, meats, artisan cheeses, fresh milk, yoghurt and butter. Many farm stays offer a truly authentic farm-to-table dining experience. 

The chance to indulge in a range of educational and fun farmyard activities such as learning how to milk a cow, hiking and biking the nature trails, tractor rides, learning about daily life on the farm and learning more about where our food comes from. 

Who would enjoy a farm stay break?

Those who enjoy immersing themselves in the countryside will enjoy the chance to stay on a working farm. It’s particularly suitable for families with young children, as along with petting the animals, farm stays provide lots of safe space in which to roam and explore. There are often other families with children on holiday, giving younger family members the chance to make new friends. 

A farm stay can also be a great opportunity to get teens off their phones, which has been shown to improve mood and reduce stress. Depending on your teen’s interests, you might consider a coastal farm, where water sports are on offer or somewhere conducive to photography, drawing and journalling. Family campfires under a starlit sky are also a great way to reconnect with each other and make lasting memories. 

Farm stays home and abroad 

A good source of working farm holidays and rural getaways in the UK is Farmstay UK. This is a not-for-profit farmer owned consortium founded 

in 1983, to promote the UK’s farm and agritourism industry. There is no commission charged on listings and Farmstay UK encourages people to book directly with farm owners. 

More information can be found at www.farmstay.co.uk

While staying on a farm abroad may not be top of mind, there are plenty of opportunities which takeyou off the tourist path and into the local lifestyle. Farm holidays are particularly popular in Italy and have helped to save many valuable historic farm buildings, as well as supporting traditional agriculture in areas difficult to cultivate. 

Other foreign destinations to consider include Portugal, Spain and Greece, where you’ll have the opportunity to celebrate the country’s local heritage, culture and food.

So, if you’d like to enjoy a glass of Chianti in Tuscany, enjoy fresh figs in Portugal, succulent pork in Spain and olives in Greece, do consider a farm stay holiday.