Fern Creek is a small family farm nestled in the forested hills of Yamhill County's wine country. Guests enter a captivating peace-filled space (a separate apartment in the lower level of our home), which is surrounded by forests and gardens where all kinds of life flourishes. Our sustainability practices (see below) demonstrate our commitment to helping life flourish--at Fern Creek and beyond. Fern Creek offers your body and soul the opportunity for rest and/or rejuvenation. Take a walk in the woods or on the country roads that wind around the hills in our neighborhood. We are a solar powered farm on five acres, which includes a forest of evergreen, maple, and oak, nearly two acres of attractively designed orchards, berry fields, vegetable gardens, a charming (I know, really?) hen house, and an even more charming goat yard and barn, home to our five adorable Nigerian Dwarf goats, Clara and her daughters, Julian and Kateri, and Hazel and her daughter, Oakley. On top of their barn sits a little prayer retreat cabin. Guests stay in a 1250 square-foot apartment with 9-foot ceilings and good natural light. The kitchen and bath cabinets come from reclaimed lumber off a barn in Gaston. French doors off the master bedroom (king bed) lead to a private patio. The 2nd bedroom holds a queen bed and offers the most quiet and dark space in the apartment. The open design kitchen, dining room, and living room make you feel like you’ve entered a place with room to breathe. Stay two nights or seven and rest in the beauty and quiet of this small working farm. Homemade cookies (Mark makes famously popular Ranger Cookies) will be on the table when you arrive along with a complimentary bottle of local wine for guests staying three nights or more. The apartment includes a private courtyard, 50" flat-screen TV, wireless Internet, ironing and bath amenities. Organic, fair trade coffee and tea, organic oats, sugar and dried fruit are stocked in the fully equipped kitchen, along with our organically grown popcorn and an old fashion stove-top popper. Fresh fresh fruit and vegetables and eggs from Fern Creek can be purchased as seasonally available from the Fern Creek Market (adjacent to the apartment), along with a variety of small batch preserved items, our own Sageworks Soapery goat milk soaps, fair trade organic chocolate (made in the NW), local vinegars and oils from Durant and other snacks. Regarding our commitment to sustainability: We grow our food sustainably, and solar panels supply all of our energy needs at Fern Creek. Energy we don't use is donated back to PGE as a credit to help cover electric bills for low-income families. We have an EV Level 2 hook-up available for guests driving electric vehicles. Cleaning supplies and bath amenities are Earth-friendly and you can take the small bars of Sageworks Soapery soap in the bathroom when you leave, as well as the loofah sponge on the kitchen sink. Reusable grocery bags are in the broom closet, and reusable water bottles in the kitchen cabinets. For your part, we ask that you turn off lights when you leave, and use the bins provided for recyclables and compostables. Thank you! The apartment is the lower level of our home and includes the adjacent courtyard. Guests are welcome and encouraged to walk through the forest, check out the orchard and gardens, and sit in the gazebo down by the creek. We do ask that you stay out of the chicken house and visit the goats from your side of the fence until I have introduced you. Mark and I live in a separate space upstairs, so you’ll hear us patter around when we’re home, and some evenings the smell of our homegrown popcorn may waft downstairs. We assume people choose Fern Creek partly because they are seeking the kind of quiet found in hiking, walking, reading, sitting, and wine tasting. It offers a respite from the city and is a good place to work or take a staycation. We will stay out of your way (!) but I’m available by text to answer questions during your stay. Fern Creek is less than an hour from Portland and just over an hour from the Oregon coast. We are 10 minutes outside of Newberg, home to George Fox University (where we both have faculty appointments), and within 5-15 minutes of a number of very fine wineries and restaurants. Our immediate neighborhood is pastoral. A walk up Williamson or Dudley Road takes you by vineyards, horses, sheep, and cows. If walks are your thing (they are ours) we've put together a description of 5 jaunts you can take in the neighborhood, ranging from 1 to 10 miles. Our hope is that a stay at Fern Creek takes you away from the noise of your regular life and steeps you in sounds, smells, and sights of an older, more natural world. A car is recommended although we also have Uber available or a local taxi service for those wanting a night out without having to think about driving home. Add-ons to make your stay memorable and/or to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries Tête-à-tête in the Woods Enjoy the tranquility of the Fern Creek forest with a bottle of local wine and a light picnic including cheeses, crackers, nuts, dried (or fresh) fruits, chocolate, and sparkling water. Choose the gazebo around the fire pit during cool or rainy afternoons or evenings (available year round) or the treehouse patio on warmer afternoons and evenings between late May and September. We set it up, escort you there, and clean up afterwards. $160 for 2-4 guests. A Welcome Basket: 1) Simply Unwind Basket includes a bottle of local Pinot Noir, Rose Pinot, or Chardonnay (your choice) and assorted fair trade organic chocolate. $50 2) All Things Local Basket includes the above plus roasted hazelnuts, seasonal fruit and vegetables, and a jar of Fern Creek jam. (Fern Creek produce when available). $70 3) Fern Creek Farm Breakfast Basket includes 1/2 dozen Fern Creek eggs, Fern Creek homemade pancake mix, a bottle of Fern Creek Berry Syrup, potatoes & veggies, herb bundle and fruit. (Fern Creek produce when available). $60 4) NW Picnic Basket includes sparkling water, cheeses, hummus, crackers, roasted hazelnuts, Deviled eggs from Fern Creek, veggy sticks and fruit (Fern Creek produce when available), and homemade cookies. $75. Book any of the above in advance. They may not always be available. Payment can be arranged for any of the above once your order is confirmed.