The Joys of Spending Your Summers on a Rural Farm
When we think of a summer vacation, we imagine beach holidays, camping adventures, RV road trips, overseas travel, or even a cruise trip. Few families picture themselves spending a few weeks on a countryside farm. Yet, rural areas possess many of the treasures you find in popular vacation spots.
Step into the countryside, and you discover a place teeming with water activities, adventure opportunities, historical sites, unique cuisine, and a new culture. Even more important, a farm stay will allow you and your kids to unplug, roam free in wide-open pastures, connect with the natural world, satisfy your curiosity, and spend quality time together.
Here are some ways you’ll have fun visiting a rural farm in the summer. And if you would love to?own a rural farm, Land Gatherer can help you find the perfect place.
Exploring Hiking and Biking Trails
Every countryside has trails waiting to be explored. Whether the place is surrounded by grasslands, woodlands, or hilly terrain, you can always find a hiking or biking route nearby. If there aren’t any known routes, you can bike on any of the nearby dirt roads or hike around the farm if it’s large enough.
And when you aren’t in the mood for a vigorous trek, you can go for leisurely strolls in a wooded area or near a stream and encourage your kids to spot frogs, birds, wildflowers, impressive rocks, and odd-shaped trees.
Creek Expeditions
Visiting a rural farm puts you in proximity to creeks, streams, rivers, and ponds. These magical, quiet, and unpolluted water sources give you a sense of adventure and an opportunity to play, learn, and cool down on a scorching day.
If you’ve never taken a wild swim, grab the opportunity. Apart from wading, other creek activities include catching minnows and tadpoles, collecting shells and smooth stones, building dams, skipping rocks, and water fights.
Camping and Stargazing in the Backyard
Some of our fondest memories revolve around the nights we camp under the stars. It’s hard to forget the nights you spent cozying up in a warm sleeping bag, sharing spooky nighttime stories with loved ones, and drifting off to sleep to the soothing sounds of nature.
And the best part is that a rural farm with plenty of space offers a perfect backdrop to set up a family campsite. Just pick a spot in one corner of the land, remove rocks, leaves, and twigs and pitch your tent. To?make it more interesting, collect rocks to make a fire pit, roast hot dogs and marshmallows, sing campfire songs, tell stories, and stargaze.
Visiting a U-Pick Farm
If your kids have lived in the city all their lives, make sure you take them to a u-pick farm. These are farms that allow customers to harvest the fruits or vegetables they want to buy. It will offer your kids a great learning opportunity as they’ll experience firsthand where their food comes from, how it grows, and how it’s harvested.
Some of the items you can help harvest include strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, carrots, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Apart from learning new things, you’ll also enjoy the outdoors, get a taste of the idyllic rural life, bond with family, and even get to enjoy yummy and healthy fruits.
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Hanging Out with Farm Animals
Who doesn’t love to meet cute, playful, and furry friends? A stay on the farm will allow you to hang out with adorable goats, cows, horses, pigs, chickens, turkey, and barn cats. If the farm you’re visiting doesn’t have animals, you can always find a nearby farm that welcomes visitors.
Relaxing in their company of barn animals as they graze in the lush fields, frolic, tend to their young, and snuggle down in a meadow offers a spell of simplicity and the chance to soak in the peace and tranquility of the countryside. You can bottle-feeding a calf, milking a goat, collect eggs, sheer sheep, ride horses and learn how a farm operates.
Doing some Farm Art
Farn art is a fun activity to do with the kids when you want to get them excited about farm life and make them more creative. The only difference is you’ll be doing it on a real-life farm. With so many things on a farm, the ideas are endless.
You can provide your kids with crayons and sketchbooks, ask them to take a tour of the farm, and later have them paint their favorite animal, tree, garden, or item on the farm. They can also collect natural material or use paper and glue to build a farm barn, tractor, or animal. To encourage your kids’ inner artist, help them build a bird feeder or make a mini garden with egg cartons.
Boating and Fishing
If there’s a lake or river near the farm you’re staying, go for a family boat ride on the unspoiled and uncrowded waterways. A leisurely cruise through the quiet countryside will allow you to take in the quaint surroundings, breathe in some fresh air, and unwind.
It’s also an excellent opportunity to watch birds, spot fish, and learn some history about the nearby small towns. If there isn’t a large water body for boating, you can find a pond or stream to hook some fish. Remember to bring a packed lunch so you can enjoy a meal near the water.?
Attending Small Town Festivals
One of the joys of visiting a rural farm during the summer holiday is that you’ll experience small communities’?festival spirit and rich culture. During these events, the sleepy small towns come to life as locals and visitors congregate to have fun.
The event can range from rodeo, fun runs, music and dancing, animal shows, food tasting to quirky animal races. It’s a fantastic opportunity to taste the local cuisine, enjoy live music and learn the unique traditions of the community. It’s all about having a good time and enjoying the good life, so jump into the fun.
Enlist the Help of Land Gatherer to Find your Own Rural Escape
Keeping your family happy through the summer doesn’t have to mean traveling far or spending boatloads of money. You can simply stay on a countryside farm, fall in love with nature, and make memories that last a lifetime.
Even better, why not buy your own tract of rural land where you can escape to during the summers? If you love the idea of owning a place in the picturesque countryside, talk to?[email protected].