Vacation Idea: A Farmstay "Haycation"

One day last year, I took my children to visit a friend who raises chickens. She invited the kids to gather eggs, but both instinctively drew back from the coop. "Mom," hissed Anna Claire, 8, "those eggs look dirty. They came out of..." Her mouth twisted in disgust. "They came out of that chicken's butt!" It's worth noting that my daughter and 4-year-old son, Thomas, are far from city slickers—we live in a quiet, little Mississippi town, not Chicago or Manhattan. Plus, country life is in these kids' genes: Their great-grandmother kept chickens in her Alabama backyard. Now her descendants assumed that pristine eggs are laid directly into pastel Styrofoam containers.

In this photo: Corn silos, livestock barns, and some 40 acres of crop land set the scene at Kinnikinnick.

Something had to be done. So I booked a weekend getaway at Kinnikinnick Farm in Caledonia, Illinois—part of the Feather Down Farms network, which helps small, family-owned farms function as "haycation" destinations, by handling bookings and providing custom guest tents. Should the word tent bring to mind dingy green canvas sagging off a rickety triangular frame, imagine this: 484 charmingly appointed square feet, with a wood floor and three sleeping areas (enough to accommodate five to six people). There's no electricity: Cooking's done over a wood-burning stove, and candles and lanterns offer light in the evening. While that golden glow harkens back to a simpler time, you're hardly roughing it. In addition to downy duvets and indoor plumbing, there's a bathhouse with hot showers nearby. And the farm's "honesty shop"—an unattended, informal store where you leave your payment in a box—stocks chili fixings and locally sourced food such as fennel sausage and peach jam.

In this photo: Author Beth Ann Fennelly; her husband, Tom Franklin; and their kids, Anna Claire and Thomas, stayed in one of Kinnikinnick Farm's five guest tents.

Named for the creek that runs through the 114-acre property, Kinnikinnick's owned by David and Susan Cleverdon, a couple as passionate about responsible living as they are about fun. (They grow all of their produce organically and, says David, "we've been known to throw a party at the drop of a hat.") From the moment my husband, Tom, the two kids, and I pulled into the driveway on Friday afternoon, we felt like part of the Cleverdon family. And on a farm, family pitches in. We helped harvest Italian greens—including bietina, a leafy chard, and spigariello, a flowerless broccoli, neither of which I'd ever seen at my market back home. I took pleasure in knowing that the apples we picked from the orchard, planted by Susan and David's children for her 50th birthday, would be simmered into apple butter and spread by unknown knives over warm toast.

In this photo: Anna Claire, Beth Ann, and Thomas pay a visit to the farm's alpine goats.

Later that night, we scrubbed vegetables, then ourselves,and prepared dinner in our tent. The tomatoes I sliced for our salad were still warm from the sun and picked by hand—my 4-year-old's hand. We had met the cows who produced the milk and cheese we enjoyed. Of course, we may also have met, fed, and named the robust chicken, fattened on red clover, that we grilled. For now, this is one farm-to-table connection my children didn't make; had they asked if our dinner was "Fluffy Franklin," I'm not sure how I would have answered.

In this photo: In the Kinnikinnick orchard, Tom and son Thomas pick a peck of Prairie Spy apples.

Tommy and Anna Claire run through the farm's fields.

Among the lettuces grown at Kinnikinnick: Parris Island Cos, Rouge d'Hiver, green and red oak leaf, Lolla Rossa, and Tango.

Morning comes early at Kinnikinnick, courtesy of the rooster. We ground coffee beans in a hand-crank grinder, then gathered eggs for omelets. The moment I was dreading—when Anna Claire and Thomas realized they'd been robbed of Saturday cartoons—never occurred. Chalk it up to the joys of the animal paddock: fuzzy baby sheep, rabbits, and a goat named Johnny Bosco, whom the kids walked on a leash. My husband and I didn't miss our cell phones or laptops, either—it was lovely to be in a place where blackberry referred to an afternoon snack, not something vibrating in your pocket.

In this photo: Cornish Cross chickens enjoy mealtime in the barnyard.

A wood-burning stove means guests can whip up fare right in their tents.

Some 100 hens—including Barred Rock and Partridge Chantecler breeds—lay the farm's daily output of around four dozen eggs.

On our last night, we played Old Maid and read stories by candlelight. Tucking my son in, I gently tugged a piece of hay from his curls. "Mommy," Thomas sighed, "I want to be a farmer when I grow up." Maybe he will be a farmer, but I'm not even sure I'd wish it. The evening before, I'd seen David, still in his work overalls, fall asleep at the dinner table. Farming is a life of integrity and satisfaction, but also one of rigor and exertion.

In this photo: Each of the property's five tents sleeps five to six people.

The kids find a perfect perch in the tent's sleeping loft.

For the time being, at least, Thomas and Anna Claire were satisfied with the delicious souvenirs, greenish-pink Ashmead's Kernel apples, they'd picked for their classmates. And all of us returned home with sweet memories of raspberry-stained fingers stroking sheep, nights where LCD displays came in the form of constellations, and the feeling of a deep connection to this earth that, with hard work and a little luck, provides for us deliciously.

In this photo: Roll-down sides keep tents snug overnight.

WHERE TO START: Farmstayus.com compiles easy-to-search listings—including prices, photos, and other details—for more than 580 American farms and ranches, in all 50 states.

WHAT TO KNOW: The level of hands-on activity varies from farm to farm, as do accommodations (including plumbing and kitchens). Plus, not all farms are open to kids under 12.

HOW TO BOOK A GETAWAY AT KINNIKINNICK FARM: Located 85 miles northwest of Chicago, Kinnikinnick welcomes guests from mid-May to mid-October, weather permitting. Tents cost between $189 and $239 per night and sleep up to six people each. Visit featherdown.com to learn more.

In this photo: Susan and David Cleverdon, with dog Karolina, have owned Kinnikinnick Farm since 1987.