The Rural Voice, 1994-08, Page 22Selling a peace
of the country
Larry and Shirley Bott created a business
by selling the country tranquility most
farmers take for granted.
18 THE RURAL VOICE
There are farm vacations and farm vacations ... and
then there's Walk -a -Bort Farm.
While more and more farm homes are taking in
vacationers these days, few people take it as seriously
as Larry and Shirley Bou at their farm just east of
Gorrie. And few people seem to have more fun with it.
When the Boas first moved to the farm 21 years
ago this October, Larry had a vision of what it could
be, though he admits that vision has been altered a bit
along the way. The 100 -acre farm straddles the
Maitland River on the south side of Highway 87, just
outside the edge of the village. There's a sense of
history from the remains of the right of way of an old
railway line. The buildings sit on the top of a hill that
falls gently to the river.
The Botts still farm, raising veal calves as they
have for 32 years, but in 1988 their farm began to
change. For 10 years the couple has hosted about 250
people annually at a Christian Bikers' Rally and
By Bonnie Gropp
and Keith Roulston
thought it might be nice to clean up the river bank area.
"I guess you could say we started out big and got
small," says Shirley.
The earth was levelled off and grass planted. Then
in 1990, after building a gazebo overlooking the river,
people started asking the Botts about holding family
picnics there and they began to see the potential.
Shirley says they had always enjoyed entertaining,
so when a customer of Larry's small trucking business
suggested they try their hand at running a farm
vacation spot, they figured "Why not?" In the spring of
1991 they joined the Ontario Farm Vacation
Association. By 1992 they hosted 40-50 people. This
year they're receiving repeat customers. On the July 1
long weekend they were full -up with 22 guests with a
United Nations of origins including Canadians of
African, Pakistani, Israeli and Italian heritage. At one
point there were eight kids in a sandbox and Larry
asked one little white girl what was different about her
new black friend. "She has curly hair," came the
answer.
"Would that we could all learn from that," he
says.
The Botts started with the basics for a good
vacation spot. "When you think of it, there are three
important things to a vacation: grass, shade and water.
We are fortunate to have it all," says Larry.
Mot many farm homes can host 22 people on a
1 weekend but the Botts have gone beyond just
renting out vacant bedrooms. In 1992 they added three
cozy gingerbread cabins on the hillside. There's also
room for camping by the river.
While the quiet of the place and the rippling sound
of the water running over rocks may attract weary
A long row of lawn chairs under a shady tree provides
plenty of opportunity to sit and relax.