Pitch Your Tent! (Primitive) #01

Grab some friends and pack your tent! Primitive sites aren't designated - you can camp just about anywhere on our hundred acre farm, but each "site" is a maximum of 6 people and/or 2 tents. Campers can use the large, communal fire pit in the field or bring a portable, above-ground version. The farm also has a centrally located Community Kitchen and a Bath House which are shared with other guests. NO PETS - NO EXCEPTIONS. Be sure to read the full listing description for more details. The space We now have two EV chargers! HomeGrown HideAways is a hundred-acre farm, campground, and event facility with treehouses, yurts, cabins, camping, etc. The owners, Nathan & Jessa, live onsite with a parade of dogs, cats, chickens, and ducks. For the safety of our own animals (and yours), we cannot allow any additional animals onto the farm. Anyone arriving with an animal of any kind will not be allowed to stay and no refund will be given. CAMPSITES: HomeGrown HideAways is not your typical campground. You won’t see cul-de-sacs of numbered campsites with individual fire rings, picnic tables, and water spigots for “primitive” camping (though we do have those things at some of our other sites). We’re a privately owned farm that hosts campers and events so the camping area is just one, big, open field nestled between a creek and a forested hillside. Campers can pitch tents anywhere in the grass and park right next to their site as long as the ground isn’t so wet that your vehicle will get stuck. If you’re adventurous, you’re welcome to hike your gear up the mountain and camp in the clearing above our house. There’s a small firepit at the far end of the field near the creek (first come, first served) as well as large bonfire pit near the Pavilion and Community Kitchen. The Bath House is located in the camp field for easy access and all guests have access to the Community Kitchen (see details below). Other Info: CHECK-IN: Guests can check in any time AFTER 4pm, but we do recommend arriving before dark. Depending on our cleaning schedule, we may be able to accommodate an earlier arrival time with advance notice. PLEASE KEEP US APPRISED OF YOUR ESTIMATED ARRIVAL TIME AND DO NOT ARRIVE EARLY WITHOUT PERMISSION. Rentals are unlocked so guests can just follow the instructions sent with the check-in email to find their location and let themselves in. CHECK-OUT: Please vacate your rental by 10am and depart the farm no later than 11am. Guests remaining on the farm after 11am are subject to a $35/hour late departure fee. If something comes up and you need to leave before your scheduled check-out date, please do us the courtesy of sending a message once you have cell service so that we know not to expect you. CANCELLATIONS: Prior to confirming your reservation, please familiarize yourself with our cancellation policy. Airbnb provides TRAVEL INSURANCE to safeguard against unforeseen circumstances such as illness, death, travel interruptions, and other unexpected events that may necessitate cancellation. HomeGrown HideAways is unable to offer refunds outside of our cancellation policy since travel insurance is specifically designed to address such situations. ALTERATIONS: Guests are welcome to submit alteration requests, whether to extend their stay or make adjustments to the number of individuals on the reservation. For more substantial changes to the dates of your reservation, you'll need to cancel the existing booking and initiate a new reservation with the revised dates. The cancellation policy remains applicable to both canceled and re-booked reservations. CELL SERVICE & WIFI: HomeGrown HideAways is in a very rural location where cell service and wifi are extremely limited to non-existent. The Community Farmhouse is wired for wifi, but we do not guarantee that it will be functioning. It is slow to medium speed at best (2-6 Mbps) so please manage your expectations. Wind, rain, squirrels, and birds can disrupt the service at any time. We encourage you to take the time to unplug and re-connect with nature, yourself, your family, and other guests. SHARED BATH HOUSE: In addition to year-round outhouses, there is a seasonal BATH HOUSE with 4 flush toilets, 2 sinks, and 2 solar-heated showers. The bath house is rustic with a concrete floor so we recommend shower shoes or flip flops (wildlife sometimes visits unexpectedly). In the winter months, when the bath house is closed, guests may use the handicap shower in the Community Farmhouse for showering. Plan to bring your own washing supplies and towels if you don't want to rent ours. FARMHOUSE: The farm has a centrally-located, solar-powered, chef-inspired COMMUNITY KITCHEN with 4 ovens, 5-burner gas cooktop, microwave, refrigerator with farm-fresh eggs (when available), coffee-maker, toaster, dishes, cutlery, baking sheets, basic cooking supplies (oil, salt, pepper, etc), plus HomeGrown farm goods, s’more kits, and other goodies. BRING CASH FOR THE HONOR SYSTEM. Please remember that this space is available for ALL visitors of the farm so guests are expected to clean up after themselves and not to loiter when others are waiting. To prevent over-crowding, we ask that a maximum of TWO people from your group occupy the space at a time and children MUST be accompanied by a guardian at all times. Meals may be eaten at the picnic tables on the porch, upstairs, under the pavilion, or you can take food back to your site. FOOD SCRAPS MUST BE PUT INTO THE COMPOST BIN – NOT IN THE TRASH. Please do not discard food on the ground as it can make our animals sick and attract unwanted wildlife. A coin-op laundry is available for guests (laundry soap is included) and there is a shelf with various rental items such as towels, extra blankets, etc. The 2nd floor of the Farmhouse has extra tables and chairs, library, and board games (PLEASE PUT BOOKS AND GAMES BACK IN THEIR PLACE). The projector, speakers, and A/V equipment are not available for general use. THE FARM: We are a farm in the mountains so we have all the good (beautiful views, babbling brook, hiking trails) and the bad (insects, snakes, poison ivy) that nature has to offer so come prepared. We recommend hiking boots, bug spray, and weather-appropriate clothing. Be prepared to encounter INSECTS (mosquitoes, ticks, chiggers), WILDLIFE (deer, turkey, snakes, toads, and dare we mention the bear track we spotted one spring?), WEATHER (hot, cold, rain, snow), TOXIC PLANTS (poison ivy, stinging nettle, wild mushrooms), just to name a few. There is a steep and rugged 1.5-mile hiking loop that takes most folks about an hour (if they can get past the first 10-minute uphill climb). We also have playground swings, disc golf, hula hoops, cornhole, a croquet set, and a creek full of geodes to hunt (please limit yourself to ONE souvenir rock per person). Please do not leave any sticks, rocks, games, or other items in the grass where the mower might run over them. CHILDREN: The farm is a great place for children to learn and explore, but farms have inherent dangers. Parents are expected to have their children within eyesight at all times and ensure that books, games, and toys are all returned to their proper locations. HomeGrown HideAways is not responsible for accidents caused by unattended children. CAMPFIRES: Most sites have their own fire pit except for the primitive camping area. There is also a large communal fire pit near the Community FARMHOUSE. Due to the spread of invasive insects, we ask that you DO NOT BRING FIREWOOD unless it is store-bought/kiln dried. We have bundles for sale here for $5/bundle (bring cash) or you can scavenge dead wood from the forest floor for free. DO NOT cut down live trees and DO NOT burn plastic, glass, trash, gas, or anything that isn’t wood or paper. There are plenty of fire-starting materials under the Pavilion next to the bundles. On your way to the farm, you will pass the local fire department. Please make note of the fire danger sign. If the fire danger is high, a campfire may not be advisable – please check for local burn bans. SMOKING/VAPING: Smoking/vaping is not permitted within the vicinity of ANY building on the farm. Please do not discard cigarette butts in the firepits or on the ground. They must be completely extinguished and can be thrown in the trash. Extra fee for smoke mitigation. HomeGrown HideAways is 420-friendly, BUT you must partake OUTDOORS and AWAY from other guests, especially children. The key term here is COMMON COURTESY (no different than cigarettes or cleaning up after yourself). TRASH: In case you missed it before, we do not have trash pick-up on the farm and very much appreciate it if you can take your trash with you when you leave the farm. We DO have recycling bins for clean plastic, aluminum cans, and steel cans (glass cannot be recycled in our area). Paper and cardboard can be put in the box next to the firewood bundles under the pavilion for others to use for starting fires. We also have a compost bin available for all food scraps, paper napkins, and paper plates. Again, please do not discard food on the ground as it can make our animals sick and attract unwanted wildlife. SUSTAINABILITY: HomeGrown HideAways is highly focused on environmental sustainability. Buildings are designed with ecological features such as passive solar and ventilation; reused, salvaged, and locally-sourced materials; the Community Farmhouse and bath house have integrated solar; we offer recycling and composting; we do not use synthetic chemicals or fertilizers on our gardens; local spring water is provided so guests can refill their water bottles instead of bringing cases of single-use water bottles. MOTORIZED VEHICLES: We do not allow ATVs, 4-wheelers, golf carts, or any non-medical motorized transportation. Bicycles are welcome and encouraged. GENERATORS: We highly discourage the use of generators as they can be quite noisy and produce toxic fumes. Please talk to us in advance if you require one for a specific purpose. ACCIDENTS: If a child or member of your party has an accident involving bodily fluids, please take the time to clean up after them. First aid kits are supplied in most rentals and in the Community Farmhouse. If bedding is involved, we have coin-operated laundry facilities in the Community building to begin the washing process. Please notify us of such events. Extra fees apply for biohazard cleaning and replacement of ruined goods. COOLERS & CANDLES: Coolers should be left outside so that the condensation doesn't damage our floors. Candles are not allowed inside due to too many wax spills. SECURITY CAMERAS: We have several security cameras onsite for both our safety and yours. Two are located outside to cover the grounds and three are inside the Farmhouse (kitchen, hallway, and loft). They record 24/7 for liability purposes. Anyone caught tampering with the cameras will be asked to leave immediately without refund. NEARBY: We are just 8 miles from the Berea Pinnacles and 8 miles to the Owsley Fork Reservoir (known for fishing and kayaking), 3 miles to Tater Knob Pottery, 20 minutes to Anglin Falls, and a scenic hour from Red River Gorge. Berea is known for its arts and crafts, the historic Berea College, and outdoor recreation. In addition to hiking at the Pinnacles, there are several other trails throughout town and the newly opened Silver Creek Bike Park. Get Outside Ky is a local outfitter that rents canoes, kayaks, SUPs, and e-bikes. We also have a couple inflatable kayaks available for rent. NOMS: Our favorite places to eat in Berea are Native Bagel Company, Nightjar, Peg & Awl food truck, Dona Maria's Tamales, Bert's SpeakCheezy, Apollo Pizza, PapaLeno’s, Honeysuckle, and El Rio Grande. In Richmond, we like Masala Indian, Purdy’s Coffee Co., and Thai Smile. ACTIVITIES: We highly encourage guests to check out the Berea Tourism website for all kinds of classes, workshops, concerts, art demonstrations, guided hikes, and other events. Some of our favorite places are Rebel Rebel Studio & Lounge, the Berea Makerspace, Berea Arts Council, and the Berea College Forestry Outreach Center. Guests of our farm get a discount on glass-blowing classes at Fire & Fern Glass Studio. SCENIC RIVER CRUISE: Our 30-foot pontoon can carry up to 6 passengers for a scenic cruise of the Ky River between Fort Boonesboro and Valley View Ferry. Ask for details if you're interested! Guest access Guests have access to all 100 acres of the farm EXCEPT the private rentals, the residence, and the chicken/duck houses. DO NOT LET YOUR CHILDREN CHASE THE BIRDS! We HIGHLY recommend arriving before dark. There are very few streetlights on the road coming in and none on the farm. It gets REALLY dark out here and some of our city guests have a bit of trouble with this. Other things to note Items we recommend bringing: CASH for firewood, eggs, and farm goods; bug spray; hiking shoes/mudboots; slippers; earplugs (sometimes the coyotes throw big parties); and shower shoes (the bath house is rustic with a concrete floor). We live onsite. If you have any issues during your stay, PLEASE come knock on our door so we can assist. There's nothing worse than finding out in the review that you didn't enjoy your stay and it's something we could have easily fixed. We are constantly striving to make the farm better and sometimes we forget to update the listings with the latest changes and improvements. For the most up-to-date information, we suggest you follow our HomeGrown HideAways social media accounts where we also advertise on-farm workshops, classes, and events.