Visitors who’ve enjoyed a morning or afternoon at Auerfarm in Bloomfield now have a way to spend more time there: The 4-H operation has begun offering farmstays.
With rates as little as $109 a night, Auerfarm is offering furnished cabins where guests are welcome to explore the 120-acre farm and — if they wish — take part in the daily work that ranges from gathering freshly laid eggs to feeding donkeys.
Auerfarm held an open house recently for maple sugaring demonstrations, and took the opportunity to conduct a ribbon-cutting and public tours for its two farmstay cottages.
“We were trying to think of ways to give more people the experience of enjoying the farm; one way was to start farmstays where you could come with your family and engage in the activities, learn about farming or just enjoy the peace,” said Erica Fearn, executive director.
For Auerfarm, it’s a step into the trend of agritourism that has become popular in states like Connecticut that are trying to preserve some of their once-abundant farmland.
The farm and its 4-H operations and education programs are part of the legacy of Beatrice Fox Auerbach, a Hartford-born philanthropist who built the G. Fox department store business during her time as its president from 1938 to 1959.
For 40 years she also oversaw operations at Auerfarm, which at the time was a commercial farm with more than 200 acres. After her death, her heirs transferred the land to the 4-H with the requirement that it be maintained as open space where the community and particularly youth could learn about farming.
“When Beatrice Auerbach owned the farm, they had these two little houses for the farm help who lived here. We don’t have farm help, so we rented them year-round,” Fearn said.
Starting last fall, Auerbach farm changed that system for one cottage by renting it through Airbnb. The second cabin required a makeover, and Bob’s Discount Furniture donated $10,000 in furnishings. Auerfarm put that on Airbnb, too, starting this month.
“We want people to think of it as a getaway without having to go far. In under an hour you can reach Bloomfield from most places in Connecticut, without having to drive for four hours to beautiful Vermont,” Fearn said. “You can have solitude here and forget you’re 6 miles from Hartford. It’s kind of an oasis.”
Since the 4-H is focused on hands-on agricultural education, Auerfarm advises guests that they’re welcome to get up early and join in with the chores, or just watch if they’re prefer that.
The farmstay operation provides work experience for student’s in the Auerfarm Growing Opportunities program, which teaches skills to people ages 18 to 22 in hospitality, food service, agriculture and facilities. Revenue from the farmstays also benefits the nonprofit operation.
“There’s a lot of work. This is 120 acres, so think of it like taking care of 120 lawns,” Fearn said.
Depending on the time of year, the price varies widely for a cottage stay. Three nights in early December run $327; cleaning and Airbnb fees drive the total to $447. A late June visit costs $437 for three nights; fees push that price up to $573.