The Rural Voice, 1981-06, Page 16J
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purebred Holsteins. They grow mixed
crops - hay, grain and corn.
"One of the reasons we run a vacation
farm," explains Ruth, "is to try to
educate people to the tremendous invest-
ment and hard work that goes into
farming. We hope when they go back
home, they won't feel they're paying too
much for their butter or milk."
The Bender farmhouse reserves almost
1.200 square feet for guests and still
leaves plenty of privacy for the family.
Harry and Ruth have two children -
Joanne, 15 and Michael, 13.
A housekeeping apartment on the
second floor includes a kitchen, one full
bath and one half bath, three bedrooms,
T.V., balcony, private entrance and
access to a games' room complete with
shuffleboard table on the main floor.
Ruth rents the apartment as a unit to
families or groups. The rate is $175. per
six-day week for four people. Guests may
bring their own food or have Ruth supply
it for an additional fee. Most people eat
breakfast and lunch at the house and go
out for dinner. Nearby towns and villages
offer several excellent dining places.
Benry Farms is just eight kilometres
north of Clifford and four kilometres
south of Neustadt, birthplace of the late
Prime Minister John Diefenbaker.
Guests* interest vary. Some use the
farm as a home base and travel to Local
attractions - Tobermory. Collingwood and
its slide ride, and Lake Huron beaches.
Others enjoy sitting in the sun on the
front lawn, having a barbecue or taking a
dip in the small pool behind the house.
A creek which runs along the back of
the Bender farm lures fishermen. A
stocked pond is only half a mile down the
road, but most visitors take their chances
in the creek especially in spring.
Other visitors are interested in farm
work. They watch the milking and want to
pet the calves. Last November a
veterinarian from Georgia stayed for a
few days and was especially interested in
the purebred Holstein herd. Ruth recalls
one family who became involved in the
work, and spent a week helping to bring
' in straw. The lady was in the mow all day,
and her husband and kids loaded bales. It
was hard work, but they enjoyed it.
Professional people - doctors, lawyers,
dentists - seem especially attracted to
farm vacations. Many guests have come
to Benry Farms from Toronto and area.
Summers are usually booked well in
advance and winters are becoming busier
with the growing popularity of cross
country skiing.
The past five years have been filled
with learning experiences for the Bender
family. Ruth remembers five mentally
handicapped young adults and two
supervisors who visited.
"We had never been exposed to people
Ruth Bender stands in . front of
the large comfortable Bonder farm-
house. The private entrance for
guests leads to a housekeeping
apartment - a home away from
home.
PG. 14 THE RURAL VOICE/JUNE 1981
with mental handicaps." she explains.
"and we found them to be very warm and
anxious to be friends."
Ruth makes a point of being home to
welcome guests and to help them get to
know the area. Running a vacation farm
can be hard work. but she claims it has
"added a unique dimension to my
family's life" and "I get excited every
time a new guest is coming."
Another farm offering a different type
of accommodation is Pitt's Place, 19
kilometres north of Hanover, R.R. 3,
Chesley. Jean and Leslie Pitt have
welcomed farm vacationers for about ten
years.
They rent a housekeeping cabin, which
sleeps five, at $100 per couple for a
six-day week with a small additional
charge for each extra person. They also
rent two upstairs farmhouse bedrooms
for $23 per couple overnight.
The house has a lift at the front steps to
facilitate their son Brian's wheelchair,
and the bathroom on the main floor is
accessible to wheelchairs. Handicapped
visitors are welcome.
"We've had a few handicapped
guests," says Jean. "Even the cabin is
fairly accessible with only one small step,
and we have portable ramps. If anyone
comes who can't climb stairs we can
make sleeping arrangements in a
downstairs bedroom in the house."
The Pitts have a beef cattle operation
on approximately 170 acres of land, most
of which is now rented by their son-in-
law. The cabin nestles among shady trees
on the shore of a man-made pond that
covers an acre of land.
"The pond is 18 feet deep at the far
end. good for swimming," explains
Leslie." "And we stock it each spring
with rainbow trout."
Summer is always the busiest season.
but two ladies came last February. A
family spent the weekend after Christmas
skiing.
"The kids tried to clear off the pond,"
laughs Jean, "but it wasn't too
smooth."
Jean found she was spending a lot of
time in the kitchen, and is trying to cut
down on her workload this year by not
providing meals. However, she will make
exceptions for people who cannot prepare
their own meals or do not have tran-
sportation.
Pitt's Place is located in a scenic area
not far from the Bruce Trail, a fish
hatchery, the Bruce nuclear system,
museums, antique shops and Lake Huron
beaches. Several country fairs take place
each year.
Pitt's Place and Benry Farms are only
two of several farm vacations sites in
Western Ontario blending hospitality
with a tranquil setting for a memorable
holiday.