Why You Should Take Your Family to Leaping Lamb Farm to Unwind
In a tranquil creek valley in Oregon’s Coast Range, 25 miles from the college town of Corvallis and 40 miles from the Pacific Ocean, Leaping Lamb Farm makes a wonderful kid-friendly weekend escape. Homesteaded since 1862, the small family farm still operates as a working farm raising and selling lambs, hay and home-grown produce from their gardens, greenhouse, and orchards. They also operate a farm-stay experience, which is what TJ, Everett and I were here to experience for some digital detox and farm life.
We pulled up just as the light was starting to fade away on a warm summer evening and were instantly greeted by one of the owners, Scottie Jones. Scottie and her husband Greg Jones bought the farm in 2003 and swapped out their urban white-collar jobs in Arizona for a slower, more rural pace of life in Oregon. The farmland here is super fertile and the Joneses grow everything from corn, onions and lettuces to raspberries, blueberries, grapes, plums, pears and apples. Beyond the lambs they also have turkeys, cattle, sheep, chickens, horses and even a peacock on the grounds.
After introductions, Scottie took us right to our two-bedroom cottage that would be home for the next few nights. The cottage can sleep up to six people and comes with a full kitchen. The fridge is stocked with fresh, seasonal breakfast items that you can prepare as you like — something we really appreciated traveling with Everett. Besides the cottage, Leaping Lamb also has a farmhouse rental that can sleep up to 10 people.
We got Everett settled and into bed in our super charming cottage — think Pendleton blankets and a cozy electric fireplace and farmhouse décor. Then TJ and I retreated to our multi-level deck with its own BBQ grill. We cracked open a couple of beers and watched as the sunset faded away and the stars came out. Being in a rural area with little light pollution makes for amazing stargazing and TJ and I were happy to wind down just looking up at the night sky.
Some mornings it can be hard to get out of bed, but not this one. I was excited to experience a day of farm life so was more than happy to jump up when Everett did. Plus the fact that the kitchen was filled with all our breakfast essentials — including eggs straight from the source — made it really easy to wake up at our own speed. After a few rounds of coffee and a hearty breakfast that TJ cooked up we were ready to explore.
Everett is an animal lover so he was over the moon excited about the day. We met up with Scottie and she took us around to help with chores. First, we fed the chickens and collected eggs. Everett’s first reaction was to chase the chickens but Scottie (a mom of now two adult daughters) had a way of redirecting him to learn to feed the chickens and also guided him where to pick up the eggs we took back to the cottage. Everett could have easily stayed all day, but Scottie still had a lot to show us.
Next it was on to the barn where we met sheep, goats, a donkey, and the horses. Everett loved playing the goats especially and was not shy to get up close and pet these gentle animals. He also had fun brushing Paco the donkey. Scottie also wrote a book about called “Paco the Dusty Donkey” that can be purchased at the farm and fast became our nightly story to read to Everett. Bottle feeding a baby sheep was a true highlight for Everett that ignited giggles and later intense focus to make sure he was holding the bottle just right for the babies to get their fill.
When chores were finished it was time for a hike in the lush, green mossy treed forest on the grounds to see the “fairy trees.” Built by a former farm worker these are little homes carved into the base of trees with details including everything from a ladder, windows and tiny front doors. Everett ran up to one, trying to climb the ladder, which at 2 years old, he was much too big for but made TJ and I smile to see his imagination run wild. Next, he knocked on the door and said “Grams and Opi?” which are the names he calls two of his grandparents. It gave us a good belly laugh.
It was just one of many moments that brought out immense joy at Leaping Lamb Farm. In today’s fast-paced world where everyone, including kids, are always connected to some kind of technology, I feel farm stays are more important than ever. They let you disconnect from technology and your children can just enjoy being kids, feeding baby sheep (Okay, who am I kidding, adults get excited about feeding baby sheep too!) and (almost) mastering the art of carrying fresh laid eggs- Everett dropped the first egg he picked up! It’s also a vacation that TJ and I know truly had an impact on Everett, too. Even a few months after the stay he talks about the animals, farm and Scottie too, who truly has a special way of connecting with kids and also guiding them to connect with the animals too.
