Enjoy sleeping in a grain bin, riding in a combine or gathering eggs from a chicken coop for the freshest omelet you’ll ever taste. If these bucolic happenings sound perfect, it’s time for an overnight stay at an Illinois farm. Meet three Illinois Farm Bureau members offering a variety of experiences for a sojourn into the country.
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The Has Bin
Mary and Stan Seaman grow corn, soybeans and wheat, raise beef cattle, and preserve fruits and vegetables from their garden on the Vermilion County farm where Stan grew up. They weren’t looking for more work, but a few years ago, they created The Has Bin Guest House after a neighbor asked Stan to help remove a grain bin from his property.
“I didn’t know what I would do with the bin at the time, but I like to be creative and figure out how old things might be used for something else,” Mary says.
Stan moved the grain bin to their farm and converted it into an 18-foot-diameter bed-and-breakfast. The flooring and beams came from an 1800s barn. An antique sewing machine and Victorian-era bowl were repurposed as a sink and washstand. The nonworking stove, circa 1920s, provides a surface for the coffee station. Mary’s complimentary breakfast features homemade jam or jelly and eggs from their neighbor’s chickens.
“I love people and hosting, and even though we are busy, this just fits,” Mary says.
She enjoys treating guests celebrating special occasions with a homemade cake, card or colorful sign. Plus, it’s a chance to teach guests about agriculture.
“On the farm, we’ve had people ride along on the combine who don’t know anything about harvesting,” Mary says.
Those who do venture afield can visit a craft brewery, vineyard or parks for hiking and horseback riding. Nearby Danville has a rich Abraham Lincoln history, as he practiced law there for 18 years. However, many guests never leave the back deck, enjoying the comforts and peace on the farm.
“I’m busier than I ever imagined,” Mary says. “People want to get away from the city out on the farm where it’s peaceful.”
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Grafton Getaway Guesthouses
Brandon Jeffers, a contractor who has traveled to all seven continents, is a native of Winchester, population 1,700. He bought a working farm with the sole intent of hosting people to share this rural oasis.
“These rural roots are ingrained in me,” he says.
His Grafton Getaway Guesthouses consist of seven sites, all located within a 15-minute drive of Grafton and each other. The farm sits on 23 acres with picturesque red barns providing the space for chicken coops, wooded trails, a firepit and the giant yard chess board that’s a signature Jeffers amenity.
“It’s a new adventure to a lot of guests who have never been in a chicken coop and don’t know how to fetch eggs,” he says. “It’s fun to be able to offer that kind of experience.”
At the farm, guests will find sleeping arrangements for 26 people. The venue has hosted church groups, yoga retreats, small weddings and family reunions. Amenities include a trampoline, pingpong table, putting green and kids’ zone in the barn. Guests can also fish in the pond or sleep in the barn’s hayloft.
Nearby attractions include Pere Marquette State Park, Treehouse Wildlife Center, a waterpark, wineries, a zipline and Eckert’s Orchard in Grafton. However, most of Jeffers’ guests are seeking the farm stay as their main destination.
“They’re coming here specifically, and they may not leave the property,” he says. “We’re a place where kids can just run around and be kids.”
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The Country Experience
Ed and Elizabeth Amstutz first developed The Country Experience in Jo Daviess County for summer sleepaway camps.
“Our kids had gone to a farm camp in Ohio and came back smelly, smiley and wanting to do it all over again,” Ed Amstutz says.
The Amstutz family’s desire to share their ideas for growing their own food with minimal impacts also moved them to purchase The Country Experience. School tours followed the summer camp success, then farm stays soon began, inviting all ages to the farm.
“Children who aren’t yet in school or summer camp-age can come and experience what it’s like to take care of a pig or a goat, to feed a chicken and to harvest a ripe tomato out of the garden,” says Amstutz, expanding on the decision to offer farm stays.
The 34-acre property includes five cabins, three tents, a century-old barn and a fishing pond. Guests can come for the entire weekend, with most meals included.
“Most people come to us seeking the opportunity to be part of the actual farm work,” says Amstutz, noting visitors say their best experiences stem from going inside the fences to feed and interact with the goats, cows, pigs, sheep, donkeys, chickens and rabbits.
Those who venture off-site can explore the historic town of Galena, located 12 miles away. And hiking trails abound at nearby Mississippi Palisades State Park.
“We get so many people who just want to experience rural life,” Amstutz says. “We provide the opportunity for people to discover a little bit about who they are and who they can be and, at the same time, getting them closer to realizing what it really takes to raise chickens for a dozen eggs.”
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