| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Alee |
Posted - Jan 03 2008 : 6:23:01 PM
Hi Ladies!
As time for us to be moving approaches- I am finding myself daydreaming about having my own little ranchette. I am planning as always to have a horse breeding operation which will take a lot of my time each day. I recently read a newspaper article how farms are starting to offer vacation packages where the Guests help with all the farm chores and such. I was thinking- How great would it be to stay at a ranch and help birth a baby horse? Or even just go and help do the chores and go for horse back riding lessons.
Then the second part of my dream ranch-
I love antique tea cups and I would love to have a little tea parlor. And for appointments for a deluxe tea we could do a "Lords and Ladies" tea where the servers would call everyone "M'Lady, and M'Lord" and for an extra fee we could take an old fashioned carriage ride.
Am I completely insane? Or do you think that would be fun to go to?
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
Please come visit Nora and I our our new blog: http://FarmgirlAlee.blogspot.com |
| 13 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Mucking Boots |
Posted - Jan 08 2008 : 08:52:41 AM
Do it Alee. You are young and I always think that is the perfect time. We are starting over again and we are alot older. |
| shmeg |
Posted - Jan 08 2008 : 05:39:40 AM
Alee,
I looked into taking my kids on a vacation like that. There are a few farms that do just that. They are like Bed and Breakfasts. I also know of a children's camp that is an old family farm where the children come for a week and work on the farm. It looks like a beautiful place. I'll put the link on here if I can find it. It is somewhere in Ohio. As I recall it was pretty expensive to send your kids there, but seemed really neat. I think your ideas sound great! Follow your bliss! |
| Georgiaberry Mobley |
Posted - Jan 08 2008 : 04:14:17 AM
Wow Alee, how exciting! I think the "working vacation" and boutique farm and ranch concepts are very promising right now, and Montana is a great place for it, because there are lots of other attractions. So a vacation can include farm experience and tourism. An added bonus - attracting other tourists to your farm/ranch. A lot of potential where you are going.
I can imagine a horse ranch tea party, near a wooden fenced horse pasture, with wooden tables set around with hay bales topped with quilts to sit on! Wouldn't that be fun . . . think of the kids birthday parties you could have, that would beat the heck out of chuckecheese.
Farmgirl Georgiaberry
always busy at SunshineForDinner.com
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| bboopster |
Posted - Jan 08 2008 : 01:53:18 AM
Alee, Dreams are always a bit insane but with out them we would never more ahead. I have had many dreams I have let others talk me out of because they thought I was insane. Your dream sounds wonderful. My cousin and her daughter actually went on a vacation like you are describing to a horse ranch and had a great time. Even though they live on a small horse breeding and training farm they enjoyed the dude ranch adventure totally.
Tea parties who can resist beautiful dresses, hats, suits, tree swings, finger sandwiches and cookies. Oh take me away. 
http://www.bboopster.blogspot.com
3 Blue Star Mother and Proud of it!
Pray for our troops to come home safe and soon.
Enjoying the road to the simple life :>) |
| Farmtopia |
Posted - Jan 07 2008 : 9:48:39 PM
Hey Alee..your dreams sound alot like mine...well, probably many people. I agree that "Victorian Teas" have done well, and vacation get-aways. Here in NYC, people leave to the very spots you are looking for, I think a good idea is to market it appropriately, and if you could find folks who are looking for a "different" kind of get-away, where they get to experience something, instead of a regular vacation, you should be on the right track.
May all your dreams come true :)
~*~Dream all you dreamers~*~
View my work:
www.bigtownfarmer.com
www.pumpkinpatchparlor.etsy.com
And Blogs:
www.bigtownfarmer.blogspot.com
www.queenofcrows.blogspot.com |
| Alee |
Posted - Jan 05 2008 : 10:06:18 PM
Hi Georgia!
Right now I live with my husband in Moscow, ID. We have a 9 month old daughter. My husband works at a job that he hates and I am having difficulties with returning to college. We both really want to get out of this funk of feeling like we are still fresh out of high school college students scrabbling to make a living.
My husband wants to start his own store in Billings, MT and I think it is a good idea if we can hit the economy at the right time. I have always wanted to have and be around animals- especially horses.
I am especially enamored of Straight Egyptian Arabian horses (SEA). They are beautiful and so very intelligent. I have some friends locally who breed and train world class halter SEAs. I would love to create my own breeding/training operation similar to theirs.
But just having the horses is not enough. I really love every aspect of rural life. I want to have a huge garden so that my farm can be mostly self sustaining. I want to have meat animals (chickens, steers, pigs, lambs) which my husband has the skills needed to butcher at home.
I would love to have an art studio and "play in the mud" (ceramics), thought that would really be just for my own entertainment.
I do however really love collecting old antique tea cups and I figured that if I want to collect them, I should do something with them. I know some people pay quite a bit for an afternoon of historical re-enactment. I thought it would be fun to have a "Lords and Ladies" tea where people could dress up in their finery, have an authentic English Tea and enjoy a carriage ride behind beautiful horses. And in the winter we could go for sleigh rides.
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
Please come visit Nora and I our our new blog: http://FarmgirlAlee.blogspot.com |
| Georgiaberry Mobley |
Posted - Jan 05 2008 : 6:18:08 PM
Alee - I am new to the forum and am curious about your "moving day". Maybe this has been hashed over before, but would you describe briefly the living situation that you are moving from and to? I have to go sit down with a small child right now, but I'd love to share some of my own day dreams along these lines! I imagine there are alot of us dreaming these dreams together, and it is so great that you are actually moving toward yours. Congratulations! And I want to come for tea, too!
Farmgirl Georgiaberry
always busy at SunshineForDinner.com
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| yarnmamma |
Posted - Jan 05 2008 : 08:56:29 AM
The tea party sounds fun to me. I'd do it!
****************
HAPPY NEW YEAR to my FARMGIRL sisters!
farmgirl #71 Linda in PA |
| miss wilma |
Posted - Jan 05 2008 : 08:49:03 AM
Alee dont forget the horse farms in Ky always find a job and I can always baby sit Nora and you can go to UK ALSO.
I am a farm girl married to a sewing machine
http://misswilma.blogspot.com/ |
| Annika |
Posted - Jan 05 2008 : 12:55:09 AM
You sound just fine to me! I'm comin' to visit as soon as you're open for business. Truth, Drew and I have talked about almost the same thing, though we'd wait 'til closer to retirement. So I'll have to visit you and learn your tricks 
Wishing you joy in small things and peace in your heart
Annika
farmgirl sister#13
http://innermountainmudhens.wordpress.com/
http://panzymoon.wordpress.com/ |
| La Patite Ferme |
Posted - Jan 04 2008 : 10:19:01 PM
Alee,
I think you're on track with what they call experiential vacations. And, it's just like it sounds - guests get to EXPERIENCE life on a farm or ranch, they help with chores, harvest, animals, so even have guests catch (fish) or pick veggies that will be used in the meals. Some even offer cooking classes especially when the theme is wild game. One article I read said city dwellers flock to place like this because they are so far removed from the earth, but they want to expereince it in a controlled setting with people who know what they are doing. That's why dude ranches are so popular.
I like your tea idea also. We have a rose farm about 45 minutes from my house. They have well over 1,000 different varities of roses. After you spend an hour or so on their walking tour of the farm you are treated to "high tea" in a secluded alcove of the farm. 100 year old trees shade the grassy outcrop and keep you cool while staff serves a variety of tea sandwiches, sweets and tea. It's the perfect spring or summer day trip.
best of luck with your dream. |
| DaisyFarm |
Posted - Jan 04 2008 : 08:35:34 AM
I don't know about where you live Alee, but here, tea parlors are tremendously successful. Will you be living in a place where there is a lot of tourists? They seem to love that sort of thing.
Chase your dreams girl!
Di
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| chicken necker |
Posted - Jan 04 2008 : 05:50:56 AM
Let me know when you are open for business! Love the old fashioned "tea"!
I love deadlines. I especially like the whooshing sound they make as they go flying by. ~anon |
