As we crossed the west camping in Harvest Host locations, the modest description of a day at Bee Happy Farms piqued my curiosity. As it was en route to our next camping stop, we requested a stay over via the Harvest Hosts app.
When they said, “yes,” we did a quick re-schedule of our trip and planned our stop. My intuition more than paid off.
Harvest Hosts is more than a one night stop en route to your next destination. It’s an experience that enriches your camping journey. Our day at Bee Happy Farms was all that and a little bit more. I’m sharing our experience and images of another amazing escape off the beaten path.
What was waiting for us? A mini-vacation within our camping trip.
With a big smile and welcome the size of Texas, Shannon greeted us as we drove up the Bee Happy Farms driveway. Lined with native grasses, flowers, with ponds, horses and cows in the pastures, memories of my time on our old family farm emerged.
He gave us a guided escort to our flat, level RV parking spot before giving us a quick lay of the land.
A Day at Bee Happy Farms: An Amazing Harvest Host Experience
After parking and leveling our Nucamp Tab 400 Boondock, our dogs took us for a long walk along gravel country roads. Grasses flowed back and forth in the east Texas breeze. Cows chewed, mooed while idling with curiosity on the other side of the fences. Roosters’ crows echoed across the distance.
As we walked along Bee Happy Farms‘ driveway, the warm spring day filled the air with music. Songbirds and more songbirds. Bright chirps, calls and chatters lilted from fenceposts, tall grasses, trees. Meadowlarks, Dickcissels, Bluebirds, Purple Martins, Scissor-tailed Flycatchers and other birds darted in the late afternoon sun.
We watched as the family tended to their fields, horses and other animals on the farm. It was time to venture into the fields for bird watching and bird photography. With a front row seat to one of my favorite birds, the Meadowlark, could this be any better?
In addition to photographing birds, the farm animals, landscapes and late afternoon light called for a bit of attention too (see the first image above).
Not Just Another Farm: A Regenerative Farm
Watching and learning about their farm life added extra appreciation for what makes their farm special. Within a short amount of time, we learned a ton about the difference regenerative farmers make not only in our food but the environment and ecosystem.
A Day at Bee Happy Farms: A Deep Dive Education
Here, they raise all natural, grass-fed beef. And when they say all natural? They’re not kidding. They are a regenerative farm. Regenerative farms use conservation and rehabilitation methods that focus on and impact: conservation, biodiversity, water management, climate change resilience and overall soil health.
Soil health is top priority! Their farming and grazing practices keep the soil rich in nutrients naturally. Instead of stripping the land and using fertilizers, they use cover crops, crop rotations and composts to revitalize grounds. When your soil is healthy, the outcome is better and more nutritious food – for animals and people.
Their cows are born and raised on the farm. Their beef (which just may be the one of the best burgers, ever) has not been treated with pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, corn or soy products.
Holistically, they care for and manage the farm. Each day, the family walks the fields. Cows move to fresh grasses daily. Horses are exercised and ridden. Cows, horses, chickens and the lands are healthy and very happy!
The same is true for the Harvest Host guests that have had the privilege to experience this special place.
A Photographer’s Delight
The more I’m behind the camera, the more I appreciate what’s around me. Natural light, sounds of nature, sights of our landscapes, skies and terrain. To capture what’s around us, when we pull our eyes away from the viewfinder, we see more. By connecting with what’s around us, our eye shifts from a specific subject, to artistry in capturing the feeling of what we’re experiencing.
Watching the entire family take active role in the care of the land, the animals and each other warmed the heart and was a highlight of our camping journey.
For other Harvest Host Reviews: Harvest Hosts for Glampers: How to Travel in RV Style, Oswald Vineyard: Great Chemistry in West Texas and Seifert Cellars & Wild West Vines: A Unique Delight
