Media and Press

Want to escape the city for a bit and share the beauty of nature with your family? Camping is great, but it isn’t your only option. Across the country, farm and ranch stays offer guests the chance to slow down, embrace the great outdoors, experience another way of life and learn about where food comes from. 

From tranquil, family-run farms to large-scale ranch operations, these stays offer an enticing balance of comfortable accommodations, hands-on agriculture experiences, and cool outdoor activities. Some destinations put you within easy reach of a major city, some feel like they’re in the middle of nowhere, but all are sure to leave your family with great memories. 

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Want to escape the city for a bit and share the beauty of nature with your family? Camping is great, but it isn’t your only option. Across the country, farm and ranch stays offer guests the chance to slow down, embrace the great outdoors, experience another way of life and learn about where food comes from. 

From tranquil, family-run farms to large-scale ranch operations, these stays offer an enticing balance of comfortable accommodations, hands-on agriculture experiences, and cool outdoor activities. Some destinations put you within easy reach of a major city, some feel like they’re in the middle of nowhere, but all are sure to leave your family with great memories. 

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As visitors approach from the west on Howard County Road 400, they have no doubt that they have arrived at Heritage Farm Alpacas & Events. The big red English style gambrel-roofed barn with a brown alpaca designed into the shingles beckons them to investigate the real alpaca treasures inside. The barn is one of three historic structures on the farm, the others being a federal style brick farmhouse and a 1850’s hand-hewn log cabin. The main barn at Heritage Farm was built in 1911 by a local barn builder named Otho Rodkey. The 40’ x 60’ barn is primarily constructed of 10 x 10 hand-hewn poplar timbers that were recycled from an even older dismantled barn...

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Indiana isn’t exactly thought of as some kind of ultimate vacation destination, but maybe it should be. After all, running off to the beach isn’t everyone’s ideal, and many times, lots of folks crave something a bit different than your average getaway. Why not consider – especially if you’re from a big city – a relaxing stay away from it all on a working farm in the Midwest? Okay, hear us out – staying on a farm doesn’t necessarily sound luxurious – but in this case, we’re willing to make an exception. This is one of the most unique places to stay in Indiana, and we can’t get enough of it! Come see why Heritage Farm needs to be on your bucket list:

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On Saturday October 2, 2021 we opened our farm to the public to celebrate our Fall 4 Alpacas family farm day. Despite the drizzly afternoon, we had about 200 kids and adults visit the farm for a fun experience. The Kokomo Tribune capture some of the fun in pictures.

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During the summer of 2021, Dutchman RV Manufacturing of Northern Indiana came to the farm to shoot a couple of videos promoting the RV lifestyle.  Click the "more" link to view them. 

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Along with your comfortable walking shoes and attire, bring along a good dose of post-pandemic patience when you venture out on the road with family and friends this summer. 

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Looking for a unique, educational and cost effective getaway? Heritage Farm in Flora, Indiana — about one hour north of Indianapolis — offers families an experience they won’t soon forget. 

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Visit Indiana's travel website recently held a contest for viewers to vote for their favorite unique place to stay in Indiana.  Heritage Farm was voted #8!

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August 2020, FLORA, Ind.— You won’t see many people at these American farm stay rentals, but you will see lots of friendly fluffy faces – animals like alpacas and baby goats, are part of the package deal. Don’t expect to be sleeping in the barn or waking up at the crack of dawn to milk the cows, as these working farms have added luxurious accommodations for guests who can pitch in as much (or as little) as they like during their stay.

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January 2020, FLORA, Ind.— A respite in the country can provide a way to unwind and reboot. Remarkable cultural and animal awareness, as well as friendship often comes as a bonus.[more...]

Oct. 2019, FLORA, Ind. (WISH) — A website is helping provide a boost to income and tourism to some farms in central Indiana by connecting tourists to campsites.

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The site is called HipCamp and works as a short-term property rental like Airbnb and Vrbo, except instead of renting a room in a house or an apartment, you rent a space of land on a farm to pitch a tent, a tiny house by a river, or a cabin in the woods. [more...]

June, 2019 - The moment I open my car door, farm smells and noisy songbirds whisk me far away from the radio static. In lieu of a bellhop, a stray alpaca struts across the gravel driveway. Chickens form a welcome party at my feet, scurry out of reach, then linger close by. Even the landscaping lets out a raspy bark before the bushes part against the roly-poly waddle of … a polar bear? No, a Great Pyrenees, Tim Sheets says, emerging from the farmhouse. He introduces me to Jack and his shy counterpart, Frost, who stays hidden in the shrubs. “Let me show you the cabin,” Tim says. [more...]

January, 2019 - Animals play a part at Heritage Farm in Flora, too, near Kokomo. Here it’s alpacas. Because the public was curious about the animals, owners Tim and Beth Sheets began hosting one-day seminars to introduce the alpacas to the public. [more...]

October, 2018 - We stayed at our third Harvest Host in Flora, Indiana — The Heritage Farm Suri Alpacas.  We happened to be one of three RVs staying the night, which proved to be a lot of fun! [more...]

November, 2017 - If you approach Tim and Beth Sheets' farm in Howard County from the west, you can tell their agricultural product—alpacas—right away. The shingle design on the barn roof tells that story. Brown, white, and black Suri alpacas roam the pastures surrounding the barn where Hereford
cattle once grazed. [more...]

Fall 2017 - Take a leisurely drive through the Indiana countryside and you'll likely pass dozens of barns - some weathered and tattered from decades of use, others sharp and freshly painted - each with a story to tell. [more...]

Spring 2017 - Couples tie the knot at Indiana Farms. [more...]

September 2016 - We had the privilege of having the host and crew of the PBS kids show, Curiosity Quest visit our farm and film an episode. You can view the episode below. Even though the program is geared towards kids, the video contains a lot of great information for everyone! [more...]

July 2016 - Genealogy has become a lucrative global enterprise as families seek roots that anchor and ties that bind. In Indiana, those roots often were first planted in farmland and continue to grow and flourish throughout subsequent generations. [more...]

Fall 2015  - Having gone from boom to bust seven years ago, alpacas are poised to once again take the country by storm. (And is it any wonder?) [more...]

August, 2010  - Wow! What a weekend.  We got considerably more done than I was hoping for.  Our barn crew of 12 family members and friends started to arrived at 8:00 a.m.  Son Michael, daughter Jennifer and Son-in-law Taylor (along with grandaughter Kylie) came from Indy and Flora. [more...]