Farm camping in cottage-style tents (private chicken coops optional)

Consumers suffering from an excess of online oxygen and a shortage of the old-fashioned kind have long been able to rediscover life’s natural rhythms in a farm camping vacation. A network of working farms in the UK and beyond offers a decidedly compelling twist on the classic notion. Feather Down Farms are small-scale, working farms that offer cottage-style tents with “traditional interiors” including feather beds, wood-burning stoves and flushing toilets. A far cry from a rustic tent, the spacious accommodations feature master and bunk bedrooms along with an extra canopy bed—sleeping up to 6 in all. There is no electricity in Feather Down tents, but oil lamps and candles are provided for lighting and hot showers are available nearby. Children can get cosy with the barnyard creatures, and a farm store provides locally grown produce and necessities. Guests can also gather fresh eggs in the farm’s henhouse each morning—or, at some UK farms, a private chicken coop is even available for rent, as are recipes, ingredients and implements for select farm-style meals. UK rental prices begin at GBP 195 for a 3-night midweek stay, including firewood or coal for the stove; a private chicken coop starts at GBP 10 for a midweek stay. Bicycle rentals are also available. Targeting double-income families with kids, Feather Down Farms just recently expanded into the Netherlands, France and the US, with additional nations in its plans for the upcoming future. Farmers and agricultural entrepreneurs around the globe: one to get in on now? (Related: Nostalgia for hire — Try-before-you-buy urban chicken farming — Boutique camping.) Spotted by: James Cohen