Take the slow lane with Feather Down Farm days
In these stressful times of uncertainty and economic downturn, imagine the perfect antidote - fresh country air, wonderful scenery and utter tranquility on a back to basics Feather Down Farm stay - all from a credit crunch friendly £195!
Britain's best loved ethical, eco-friendly way of holidaying has come into its own in the last 2 years since its introduction and 2009 promises new farms across Britain and even Europe!
Feather Down Farm Days offer a return to the good old days of holidaying close to home, enjoying family time together in a simple, authentic setting and far, far away from the hubbub of regular life. For once you can forget commuting, mobile phones, commercial bombardment through the internet and television and simply return to old fashioned values. At last, there is endless time to talk, appreciate the natural setting and enjoy good old fashioned fun in the fresh air
Feather Down Farm Days currently have over 20 idyllic farms across the UK with new ones due to open in the Spring. All farms, offer luxury tents containing 2 bedrooms, a canopy bed housed in a wooden cupboard, a wood-burning stove, flushing loo and cute 1930's style Dutch farmhouse furniture. A farm shop is available for all daily groceries with all produce sold sourced from the farm itself and fresh eggs can be picked from the nearby chicken coop. To keep the whole family entertained especially the kids let them meet the rest of the animals on the farm at the paddock. If you're itching to explore the local area bikes are available to rent for the whole family.
This year a whole host of unique ‘extras' will be available on many Feather Down Farms. Each tent will now have an outdoor cooker - ideal for cooking amongst nature - and perfect when you prefer not to cook inside the tent. Or how about renting your own private chicken coop giving you and the kids responsibility in feeding and caring for the chickens - what fun, especially when you are rewarded with fresh eggs!
Also new this year, in Cornwall and Herefordshire only, is The Feather Down Field Spa - sheer carbon footprint free bliss! Enjoy a do-it-yourself treat with sauna, hot and cold showers and a huge warm water field tub! No need to feel guilty that you are polluting the environment, as the spa is CO2 neutral, and works without electricity or gas as fire wood is used to heat up the water. So sit back, relax and enjoy - all for a mere £87.50 between 6!
In line with the growing movement towards ‘Slow Food' , why not try your hand at some slow cooking country style? It's all the rage nowadays, so why not try out the open fire Farmers Soup or Stew set or a Smoke Barrel where you can smoke chicken or fish and give the family a special treat they will remember for a long time. Prices from £27.50 for the soup or £39.50 for the smoke barrel - available at selected farms...
New farm sites in Blandford Forum, Dorset and even closer to home at Sunninglye Farm just outside Tunbridge Wells complement the existing farms in Hampshire (the first and most popular farm), Somerset, Wiltshire, Hereford/Worcestershire, Lincolnshire, Scotland, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Dorset, Devon, Wales, Sussex, Essex, Suffolk, Kent and Cornwall. You can also try out the Feather Down experience in Normandy and Picardy in France as well as many locations in The Netherlands.
Finally a word about the farmers themselves. We have all heard about how hard it is for farmers to make a good living nowadays and their need to diversify. The Feather Down concept fortunately ticks all the right boxes for some farmers, enabling them to offer a small scale, low key solution and earn valuable extra income. At the same time they can proudly offer a genuine, authentic countryside experience to holidaymakers and safeguard the future of their precious farms.
As the Feather Down Farm days success story grows and continues to prosper when other holiday companies are struggling, Founder, Luite Moraals, puts it down to the need to return to core values - more than ever during these bleak economic times. More people than ever are set to holiday in Britain thanks to the low exchange rate and most people naturally want to be more carbon-friendly. Plus it's the perfect antidote to today's stressed out lives as it forces you to slow down and it teaches children the norms and values of conscious and responsible living. Above all it's unique and great fun for adults and kids alike!
This year Feather Down Farms will open their farm gates for holidays of 3, 4 or 7 nights from 3 APRIL to 29 OCTOBER 2009.
All farms offer 5 -7 comfortably furnished tented units all with beautiful rural views. Most farms allow you to take dogs and you are able to hire bikes.
The lead-in price is just £195 from 3 nights (Tues-Thurs) from 5-7th May per tented, fully furnished unit sleeping up to 6 . Weekend rates start from £245 and weekly rates from £395.
www.featherdownfarms.co.uk
Article written for Spring 2009 issue
