ACCOMMODATIONS
Thank you to the Bending Oak staff! Your hard work, diligence, and commitment to providing an incredible experience for our guests has resulted in Hipcamp recognizing Bending Oak Farm as a star host.
What Does it Mean to Stay in Our Permaculture Cabins & Campsites?
Guests who stay in one of our permaculture cabins or campsites are participating in a permaculture design process where the goal is to create a system of abundance. During your stay, you will be invited to explore how you go about meeting your daily needs. By design, you will encounter limits to the typical expectations of a living space, which grants you the opportunity to think deeply about what really is important to you. After all, necessity is the mother of invention.
This is our first study of building a sustainable living environment. We started with a blank slate, a new system designed with the permaculture principles in mind and the intention of ultimately creating a living space with the creature comforts we have all grown accustomed to. Eventually we will be building the next round of accommodations (principal: Small & Slow Solutions). When staying at Bending Oak Farm, you are participating in this process by sharing with us your experience (principal: Observe & Interact), letting us know what you have discovered you can and can not live without, and possible solutions to efficiently address those needs and wants (principal: Apply Self Regulation & Accept Feedback).
Questionnaires where you can share with us your thoughts and ideas are available at the welcome center. Please join us in considering effective possibilities in meeting all our expectations in a more efficient and sustainable manner. We look forward to your stay with us and your participation in creating abundant living spaces!
Important Information
- Check-in times are Wednesday – Sunday 4pm. Check-out times are Thursday – Monday 11am.
- All camping cabins are supplied with mattresses and fitted sheets. Please bring your own sleeping bags and pillows.
- Due to the nature of our off-grid system, we do not allow the use of high draw devices, such as hair dryers, coffee makers, hot plates, and space heaters.
- We supply hand soap, shampoo, conditioner, and bodywash that are compatible with our off-grid systems. Please use the toiletries we provide to help us in continuing to regenerate the ecosystems on the farm.
- To maintain the environment of Bending Oak and for the safety and enjoyment of all our guests, pets are not permitted at the farm.
- To ensure an environment that is family friendly and to mitigate the risk of injury Bending Oak does not permit smoking, vaping, alcoholic beverages, or recreational drugs at the farm.
Large Blue Cabin
This 12×16 camping cabin can hold up to 4 people. It has 1 full mattress on the main floor, and 2 single mattresses in the loft accessible by a ladder. Guests staying here can enjoy:
- In-room bathroom with shower
- WiFi at barn
- Fire ring at the rear of the cabin
- One bundle free firewood
- Additional firewood is available for purchase
- Kids play area
$115 Per Night
Large Red Cabin
This 12×16 camping cabin can hold up to 4 people. It has 1 single mattress on the main floor plus a full mattress and a single mattress in the loft, accessible by a sturdy ladder. Guests staying here can enjoy:
- Access to Bath House/showers and toilets
- WiFi at barn
- Fire ring at the rear of the cabin
- One bundle free firewood
- Additional firewood is available for purchase
- Kids play area
$95 Per Night
Small Cabins
These 8×10 camping cabins have a maximum capacity of 2 adults. Guests staying in a small cabin can enjoy:
- Access to Bath House/showers and toilets
- Wifi at barn
- Fire ring in the rear of the cabin
- One bundle free firewood
- Additional firewood is available for purchase
- Kids play area
$65 Per Night
Campsites
Pitch your tent on one of our private, wooded campsites. Each site has a maximum capacity of 4. Guests staying at our tent sites can enjoy:
- Access to Bath House/showers and toilets
- Wifi at barn
- Fire ring at each campsite
- One bundle free firewood
- Additional firewood is available for purchase
- Kids play area
$40 Per Night
Freshen up in the bath house!
Some of the features of our Permaculture Cabins
Green & clean.
Our bath house uses sustainable, functional systems to keep us and the environment happy.
We have fine-tuned a design for a composting toilet that is extremely clean and easy to use.
Our sinks and shower are powered by clean and filtered rainwater. The waste reduction does not have to mean comfort reduction!
**We supply hand soap, shampoo, conditioner, and bodywash that are compatible with our off-grid systems. Please use the toiletries we provide to help us in continuing to regenerate the ecosystems on the farm.**
How does it work?
‘Grey water’ waste (shower & sink) is caught and diverted to a specialized bed outside where wood chips, plants, and fungi filter and absorb the liquid, turning human-provided nitrogen and phosphorus into green leaves and black soil.
‘Black water’ waste (from the toilet) go into the receptacle below the floor and instead of flushing it away with water, the dry carbon material is added with each use, absorbing odor and adding bulk for beneficial microbes to do their work in.
The receptacle, which is only accessible from the outside, is regularly turned so the wood chips can absorb our waste. When full, it is switched out with a clean empty replacement. The full container has worms added to it before it is stored away from the public to “digest” for up to two years as it transforms into a clean, sweet-smelling compost. We know. Hard to believe. But it’s true. This nutrient-dense compost is then spread on the forest floor to support the growth of our trees, never near the gardens. Come and see/learn!
Solar Power
When it came time to decide if the farm was going to be connected to the city utilities or remain independent of them, we chose the latter. The large cabins share solar panels and a battery, separate from the main system at the barn. The small cabins have a battery generator that is charged at the barn.
This is a great chance to experience all that goes into a solar system and how the energy collected relates to your energy usage.
**Due to the nature of our off-grid system, we do not allow the use of high draw devices, such as hair dryers, coffee makers, hot plates, and space heaters.**
Want to learn and see more? Check out our upcoming workshops, courses, and events!
