BOOKING A FARM STAY:
Farm stays, long a tradition in Europe, are gaining ground in the United States. Kinnikinnick Farm and two New York properties are booked via Feather Down Farm Days (featherdown.com), which handles reservations, payment and ordering of extras such as bike rentals. Rates are $525 to $565 per tent for a two-night stay. To look for other farm properties in the United States offering guest accommodations, a good source is <farmstayus.com.LEAVING THE FARM:
If you're looking to venture beyond Kinnikinnick, South Beloit, Wis., offers a Saturday morning farmers market to extend your locavore experience. Sample Elisia's Mexican Ice, paleta-style cups of frozen fruit; grab some locally harvested honey from Donna Gilberts, and stop into Bushel & Peck's market, which focuses on sustainable, locally produced food. It's also a good place to stop for a coffee or to pick up a sandwich or two for a picnic. Also nearby is the Long Prairie Bike Trail, a 14-mile paved stretch that passes through cornfields, forests and even golf courses. Continuing the focus on food, it also has a handy stopping point at Poplar Grove's Trail Stop ice cream shop.CHICAGO TRIBUNE
