Farm Stay Updates:
Something new is always happening at
Weatherbury Farm!
Some great aerial views of Weatherbury Farm are now on-line, thanks to Kevin
Sell, a Weatherbury Farm Jam participant.
Kevin brought these photos which he shot in October 2009 to our May 2010
jam. It's these unexpected niceties that make being a farm vacation
host a delight. Our
February 2010 Moos is
now online in PDF format. To keep up with the freshest news from the farm,
sign up for our email newsletter above. (News from our February 2010
and March 2009 e-moos can be found below.) Over
1280 children are
now Weatherbury Farm Kids! Our Weatherbury Farm Kids
Program is a great way for your children, grandchildren, nieces and/or
nephews to learn about life on the farm.
One of the questions we get most often is "Are my
children the right age for the farm?" The answer is that all children are
the right age -- of course, different age groups take away different
experiences from the farm. The most heard question from children is "Can't
we stay just one more night?" We are open
from May 13 to Labor Day 2010 -- our 19th season! Our pool opens for the summer season on Memorial Day Weekend.
Check out what the media has to
say about Weatherbury Farm. You may also want
to read about the awards we've received or
available publications.
If you're interested in what's been happening on the
farm in the past, our "Weatherbury Moos" for
2005,
2006,
2007 ,
2008 and 2009
are now on-line in
PDF format. To keep up to date on farm news,
sign up for our email newsletter above. Below are a couple of
e-newsletters we've sent out: Here's the news from our "winter
emoos" (emailed on February 19 2010)
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What's the best age to
visit Weatherbury?
One of the most asked
questions prospective guests ask is "is my child a good age to
visit Weatherbury Farm?
So we though we would include
some thank-you notes received from children this past summer:
"I love the farm The farm is
the best place ever." Age 5
"Dear Farmer Dale, I had so
much fun on the farm and I'm glad that you do this for
children." Age 8
"Dear Farmer Dale, Thank you
for letting me do the chores in the morning. Also thank you for
giving me my certificate at breakfast. I hope I can come back."
Age 9
"Dear Tudor Family, Thanks
for a wonderful farm vacation! I enjoyed it a lot? I had fun
taking care of the animals. Thanks again!" Age 9
"Thanks, Tudor Family, for an
Amazing farm vacation! I had a blast! I am sure you will see me
again at the farm soon!" Age 13
"Dear Farmer Dale, Marcy &
Nigel, We had a wonderful time this weekend learning about the
operation of your cattle farm and your daily morning chores.
Thanks so much!" Age 14 & 15
One mother of a toddler told
us that we should charge more for toddlers (!) as the sensory
and experiential stimuli are invaluable.
You might also enjoy reading
3 1/2 year old
Vania's journal
of her visit to the farm (in PDF format). |
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Farm Vacation Happenings
*The new pool liner was
installed on Memorial Day 2009 and the pool proved to be a
popular spot all summer, despite the cool temperatures (We had
only 3 days over 90 degrees).
* Our plan to plant flowers and grains (amaranth and safflower)
to attract beneficial insects not only worked reasonably well,
but was gorgeous. Like many in the area we did lose most of our
tomatoes to blight (but think we have a plan in place for this
year) which was disappointing. However, toward summer's end it
was wonderful to served everything in your garden eggs -- with
everything coming from the farm garden.
* We've also replanted many
of our ornamental gardens. (Now that the sheep & goats are no
longer trimming the shrubs and perennials for us!)
*The Mews suite's garden
theme was expanded with stenciling downstairs and a floral
border upstairs.
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: Here's the news from our "almost
spring e-newsletter" (emailed on March 18 2009):
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Winter on the Farm
We've had very cold and wintery weather on the
farm this year. In January there were only two days when it
didn't snow! As a result, we have been keeping busy with
indoor projects.
In the past two weeks, there have been a couple of days of
spring-like weather -- so out thoughts have turned to working
outside. Completing the livestock watering system is high on
the list. Work on that project came to an abrupt halt with the
arrival of snow and frozen ground on December 9th. When
completed, the watering system will provide water for our cows as
they rotationally graze the farm.
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The Farm Garden in '09
The few days of recent spring-like weather have
also started us thinking about our garden. We've ordered the
seeds and will be starting plants within the week.
Dale and Nigel have spread rock phosphate and
lime on the garden beds. After applying compost, the beds will be
rototilled awaiting the planting of early crops like potatoes and
onions.
Our goal this year is to keep up with the
weeds (!) and keep the goats out of the garden. We are looking
forward to another bountiful garden with fresh (organic) vegetables
to use in our breakfast casseroles (along with our free-range eggs).
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In the Barnyard
With spring just around the corner (hopefully) we
are starting to see the arrival of baby lambs; baby calves will
follow within a month or so.
Guests are invited to help Farmer Dale with
chores every day after breakfast. Our bottle baby lambs will
certainly have guests ooh-in and aah-ing!
As Merino sheep were raised on the farm
historically, we are adding to our herd. A group of 6 ewes and
a ram from a neighboring farm (a closed herd for 200 years) will be
in the barnyard shortly. |
We are open from May 13 - Labor Day.
Hope to see you on the farm soon! |
