Zurich Citizens News, 1976-09-22, Page 13Page 14 -Citizens News, September 22, 1976
Farm vacations
A unique summer vacation
Have you smelled the perfume
of new -cut hay ;lately, or relished
a marvellous home -cooked meal
with an appetite inspired' by all,
outdoors?
For many of us fortunate
enough to live where we do, these
are questions which may seem a
little silly. Of course we have. But
to those who left the farm for the
city or those who were bred in
the city, these things have a
dream-like quality all their own.
This is perhaps why farm vaca-
tions are becoming so popular
with those from the city. Farm
vacations are promoted by the
Ministry of Industry and Tourism
and by the Ontario Federation
of Agriculture and there are about
38 places in Ontario where you
may take a farm vacation.
However, there is only one in
this area and that is on the
100 acre Willow Springs farm of
Wilma and Albert Erb, 2 1/2
miles north of Zurich.
Willow Springs Farm offers a
lot of attractions for the city
vacationer that we tend to take for
granted. It is only 10 miles to
Grand Bend for shopping, din-
ing, fishing, golfing, tennis,
boating, kiddies playland, roller
skating, dancing, museum, public
boat launch and marina. Five
minutes will take you to numer-
ous Lake Huron Beaches.
There are golf courses in Grand
Bend, Bayfield, St. Joseph
and Exter plus par 3's and driv-
ing ranges. Grand Bend play-
s
��
house summer theatre is only
10 miles away, the Stratford
Theatre is 40 miles with numer-
ous drive-in theatres in the area.
Bicycles and roller skates may
be rented in both Grand Bend
and Zurich. There is a flea market
close by plus antiques, auction
sales, museums and country
fairs not to mention Friedsburg
Days, The Bean Festival and the
Exeter Rodeo.
In addition to activities offer-
ed by the surrounding area, Wil-
ma and Albert have made even
more activities available right on
their farm. They offer tele-
vision, good books, sing songs
around piano or bonfire, picnics,
cookouts, tours of different
types of farms, Pennsylviania
Dutch cooking, home baking,
farm fresh fruits and vegetables
and baby sitting.
"This year I have had the most
people want to come here ever,"
says Mrs. Erb. "The name of the
farm and the facilities we have
must be spread by word of
mouth."
This was confirmed by Valerie
Howe of Toronto who is vaca-
tioning with her husband and two
sons for the second summer in a
row at Mrs. Erbs.
"We've told our friends about
this place and some of them
have vacationed here as a result,
says Mrs. Howe. "We like the
atsmosphere here. The people
are so friendly you feel part of
the family. The kids love it and
they eat and sleep so well be:
cause of all the fresh air and
exercise, and I especially like
the horses."
Everyone plans how to spend
their days themselves as not
everyone feels like doing the
same things at the same times.
This suits everyone just fine and
Mrs. Erb limits supervision to
information and helpful hints.
The Erb's can take up to 10
people at a time and even then
Mrs. Erb has had to turn away
people because she was booked
solid from July 10 right to the end
of the summer. She also has
bookings on into October.
Martha Toledo from Pontiac
Michigan, heard of the farm
vacations from a radio program
in the states and ended up at
Willow Springs Farm. She loves
it.
"I'm from the city and I always
wanted to visit the country. I
have a boy, Carlos, who is almost
five years old and he is just
old enough to enjoy this type of
vacation. "
"Yes it 's a lot of work," admits
Mrs. Erb. "The guests for one
week must be gone by 10 a.m.
Saturday and then I have only
six hours to strip, wash and re-
make all the beds, scrub floors
and make sure everything is
spotless. It's difficult and it's
a seven day a week job."
The farm vacations may be
hard on the farmers, but for
the city folk it is a good deal.
They get an active, healthy vaca-
tion at a very reasonable price,
(Weekly charges range from
$40 for tiny tots to $110 for
adults) and the farm people
do manage to augment their farm
income.
?O t1/4
Mit
You can freshen fiberglass
curtains after washing them if
you add one-half cup of pow-
dered milk to the last rinse
water.
YOU WANT TO BET IT'S NOT REALLY MOVING?—Eric
Howe of Toronto is having the time of his life on the farm of
Albert and Wilma Erb as he makes enough noise to make any-
one wonder if perhaps the tractor is going. This is the second
summer the Howe's have taken their summer vacation on the
vacation farm of the Erb's, the only one in this area.
Visit r Store
FOR A COMPLETE LINE OF
Groceries * Confectionery
* Novelties
iry tore
MAIN ST - ZURICH
PI -TONE 236-4930
BUT I WON'T DROP HIM—Two year old Eric Howe of Toronto
doesn't have any pets of his own, but while he and his family
are vacationing on the farm of Wilma and Albert Erb near
Zurich, he has lots. The Erb's Willow Springs farm is the only
one in the area offering farm vacations to those from the cities.
Photo by McKinley
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