The Rural Voice, 1981-06, Page 15Farm vacations
A new dimension for traveller accomodation. Rural fo/k
open their farms to city dwellers
Leslie, Brian and Jean Pitt share the pleasures of swimming and fishing in their large man made pond with guests, who stay either in
the housekeeping cabin beside the pond or in rooms in the Pitts' farmhouse.
by Elaine Townshend
Farm vacations and bed and breakfast
programs have added a new dimension to
traveller accommodation in Canada in
recent years. For generations, bed and
breakfast has been one of the most
popular forms of lodging in Britain, and
like many other English customs. the
concept has spread to Canada.
One of the best guides for rural
travellers is a paperback called Country
Bed and Breakfast Places In Canada,
compiled by John Thompson. More than
160 B. & B. proprietors from Hearts
Delight, Newfoundland, to Ladysmith,
British Columbia, are described. Among
the list are farm vacation sites scattered
throughout Ontario.
Originally the Ontario Federation of
Agriculture set up programs that allowed
city people to become familiar with
country life by spending a few days on
farms. In the mid -70s, the OFA dropped
out because the number of farms was not
increasing. A group of hosts banded
together to form the Ontario Farm
Vacation Association. Membership totals
31 this year, up from 22 last year.
Expectations are high that, in response
to growing demand, involvement will
grow by at least ten farms next year.
In the 1980s, Farm Vacations are being
promoted as economical alternatives in
tourist accommodations. They are in-
cluded in two brochures published by the
Ontario Ministryof Industry and Tourism
- Festival Travel and Ontario Accom-
modation Guide. A booth at the Sports-
men Show in Toronto created interest,
and information has gone out to five
major travel shows in Canada and the
United States.
Regional Director for Grey and Bruce
Counties is Ruth Bender of Benry Farms,
R.R. 3, Mildmay.
"Vacation farms have to have a
balance of hospitality and cleanliness,"
maintains Mrs. Bender.
She and her husband. Harry, opened
their 250 -acre dairy farm to visitors in the
fall of 1976. They milk 40 cows with a
modern pipeline system and raise 100
THE RURAL VOICE/JUNE 1981 PG. 13