Fairburn Farm

VERY close to being a 5. Debated long and hard on whether to give a 4 or 5, and finally settled on 4 because I rarely provide a 5 rating.
We hope to stay on Fairburn farm again. Wonderful relaxing 6 day visit with my wife and 18 year old son. Outstanding place to recharge – though wireless web access is readily available throughout the house if you want it. After a few days away from home (including stays at other farms) we eventually look forward to returning home, but Fairburn was different – I would have liked to stay several more days.
The cottage was occupied, so we stayed in the Heritage Room in the main house. We are glad we did – the view from the front porch (as seen on the web site at
) is bucolic and visible everytime one leaves or enters the house. Spent several hours sitting on that porch reading books or online newspapers, or simply relaxing. (The porch and main house are of course open to cottage boarders after a 1 minute walk.)
The beds were wonderful – 8 inches of memory foam. We slept soundly amidst the quietude.
The rooms and entire house are kept very clean and tidy. Maryann and Brett apply a lot of loving attention into caring for the house and its guests.
Our stay was in Aug, and everyday was sunny and warm (80s and 90s). We walked about the grounds, and received a personal tour of the barn and the milking operation during one of the twice-​daily milkings. A calf was born the night we arrived, and we were kindly taken to see it and its mother the next morning.
The water buffalo are gorgeous. Having grown up in Wisconsin and visited many a dairy farm, I was pleasantly surprised at how nice the area smelled – with eyes closed I wouldn’t have guessed this was a dairy farm. Perhaps it’s the breed?
Breakfests prepared by Brett and served in the sun-​filled dining room were very good and varied. Eggs from the farm, and one morning we even had (delicious) water buffalo sausage.
We walked all about the grounds, and bicycled to the incredible Kinsol Trestle – an easy ride.
Our stay was by luck during the two nights of the Perseid meteor shower. The location of the farm minimized light pollution, which made the night sky beautiful in any case but was especially helpful for seeing the many shooting stars.
Another piece of luck – two young German women (Stephanie and Madeline) were working on the farm during our stay. On our last night we arranged with Brett, Maryann, Stephanie, and Madeline to have a German dinner prepared by these adventurers and shared amongst all of us in the farmhouse. Great food and outstanding conversation.
On another night, rather than go out for dinner we picked some fresh lettuce from the garden and combined with veggies and fish from the market. The three of us downed it with some wine.
Plenty to do within an easy drive. We visited the Saturday Farmers’ Market and a First Nation Pow-​wow in nearby Duncan, the murals in Chemainus, and Wild Play Element Park near Nanaimo (for bungee jumping and challenging ourselves to an obstacle course – yes, we all three made it through the Black Stage.)
PROS:
— Beautiful view of the farm fields and forests. Verdant, bucolic, pastoral…
— Clean rooms with private bathrooms, with comfortable beds.
— Quiet.
— Working farm with water buffalo, with personal tours of the grounds, milking operation, calves, etc.
— Genuine, friendly attention from everyone on the farm – and they are busy. Refreshing.
— No TV!
CONS:
— Nothing major comes to mind. Our bathroom was quite small and located directly across the hallway from our room (rather than being directly attached), but that is a minor nit. The other rooms have the bathrooms directly attached.

This was a great experience! The farm has a warm comfortable feel; it is like your favourite pair of weekend jeans. This is not your stiflingly pompous B&B, but more your family away from home. A place where you can let your hair down and be yourself. (Even if you are a kid!)
Mara is not running the place anymore, she has turned the reigns back over to the family. Maryann (3^rd generation on the farm) and Brett reopened the B&B this spring and are doing a great job of welcoming everyone with a smile. The young couple is expecting their first child any moment along with what seemed like most of the herd of water buffalo!
My 5 yo, fell in love with the farm and all the animals (especially the new baby bull — Luongo). She made us promise to shake her awake if she was sleeping through the morning milking.
I am sure we will be back to soak in the soft light, great food and the warm welcome at the farm.
I highly recommend this farm stay to anyone who wants to have a truly relaxing and one of a kind experience!

great farm stay run by Mara Jernigan if you’re looking to get a real out-​in-​the-​country, rural experience where life comes to a standstill & forces you to completely relax. Mara is an amazing cook & makes amazing breakfasts & dinners! Its a no fuss place where you feel instantaly at home. Mara also runs cooking classes on Saturdays & is a local legend — her passion for slow food really comes through in everything she does! so all in all, i’d strongly recommend this place if you’re looking for a foodie experience in a very comfortable but unique setting. If you’re looking for a luxury hotel, please do yourself & Mara a favor & go to the Aerie or Wickannish or Sooke Harbor instead ;)