You Can Airbnb It At An Awesome Geo Dome On A Farm Near Peterborough Overlooking A Pond

With staycations now becoming the It thing in this pandemic era, Millen + Smith Acres farm in Keene, Ontario near Peterborough is delivering on that in a beautiful way, bringing you back to nature with farm animals grazing near you while you chillax in their just launched Geo dome.

The Geo dome, which includes a king size bed, love seat and wood stove, is nestled right over a pond that’s perfect for bird watching and canoeing in the summer, and skating in the winter months. In true rustic fashion, there is no bathroom but there is an outhouse close by.

Owners Matt Smith and Jenn Austin-Driver have created quite the utopian-like getaway. Imagine staying in a Geo dome in the great Canadian outdoors with its own pond, while nearby you are sheep, alpacas, chickens, geese, ducks, goats, cows, horses and two pot belly pigs (Billy Ray and Jolene) that you can visit by hiking around acres and acres at the farm. Pretty idyllic, eh?

At night, you can rock your best Canadian plaid while strumming your guitar and singing along to Gordon Lightfoot songs in the private campfire area, with your cooler stocked full of say, Bobcaygeon beer, while you view the constellations. It’s magical stuff.

Jenn Austin-Driver tells PTBOCanada that the inspiration for the farm and Geo dome came from the growing trend of staycations and farm stays the couple were seeing and partaking in themselves on Airbnb.

“We wanted to incorporate additional options for Agri tourism on our farm and thought this would be a really cool and modern attraction,” says. “We started doing farm tours on Airbnb this summer and it’s been amazing—we’ve hosted over 150 guests for tours since August!”

Owners Matt Smith and Jenn Austin-Driver at the farm

The couple has had such amazing feedback from the day trippers and are seeing first hand the increase in people wanting to connect with nature and farm animals, and learn about the local food cycle.

“We want make connections with as many folks as possible through as many diverse avenues as possible,” Austin-Driver tells PTBOCanada. “The more time we spend connecting and talking about the farm and sustainable farming practices, the more people think about incorporating better food choices into their day to day, and in turn farmers are highlighted more and more—which only helps our local agricultural industry. Farmers feed cities.”

The Geo dome just opened overnight last week, and has already started to fill their remaining 2020 fall/winter dates. This thing is sure to be a hit right into 2021 and beyond.

“The Geo dome is a year-round stay, with tons of seasonal activities to partake in on and locally off the farm,” Austin-Driver tells PTBOCanada. For those concerned with Covid cleaning, the couple adheres to rigid Covid cleaning policies and procedures to protect hosts and guests alike.

For more on the farm, check out the Airbnb listing here, the Instagram page here (this farm is so gram worthy), and Facebook here.

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Help The Casey Family Near Keene Recover After A Devastating Barn Fire

A huge fire tore through a large barn just west of Keene Sunday afternoon (October 18th), destroying the barn and all contents inside it. The barn is owned by the Casey family and was the home to three beautiful horses—Dallas, Texas and Nikki, who all survived thankfully.

Photo by PTBOCanada's Evan Holt

Family friend Kayla Spittal tells PTBOCanada that Danielle Casey is the owner of these horses, and that her father James owns the farm on County Rd 2.

Nikki

"With this tragedy comes very sad emotions," Kayla tells PTBOCanada. "Not only is it a family farm but Danielle and her deceased mother Cindy used to care for the animals. It was their mother-daughter time—cherished time together. When her mother passed, Danielle and her father James became the primary care givers for Dallas, Texas and Nikki."

Texas

Kayla is asking the community to pull together to help this family out.

"We are looking for donations or even just a loan of the items needed to help care for these animals," she tells PTBOCanada. "A few things that are needed to help are all types of brushes, lead chains, halters, saddles, outside blankets for under the saddles, salt blocks, hay, straw, grains, apples, mints, carrots, crunch—even down to some basic medications such as sprays for wounds to help with infections."

"Everything that these horses ever needed was inside that barn, as well as items that can never be replaced as they hold so much sentimental value," Kayla adds.

Dallas, Texas's mother

The family resides at 3043 County Rd 2 Keene—donations may be dropped off there. For more info on how to help, contact Kayla here.

Photo by PTBOCanada's Evan Holt

Here is video of the fire our Evan Holt captured...

Contact Kayla Spittal here if you want to donate to help this family.

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