John Willoughby: Greene Publishing, Inc.
Whether you're looking for a place to lay down in beautiful soft grass and gaze at the star-filled night sky or just a quick overnight, indoor stay, Jennifer and Bart Moore invite you to their 40-acre paradise where everything and anything is possible.
About two miles south of Interstate 10 on County Road 255, you will find Home Field Advantage Farmstead, owned and operated by the Moores. It all started back in 2013 when their last child graduated high school and Jennifer decided she wanted to care for an Alpaca. By 2014, the Moore's home in Tallahassee was sold and 10 acres in Lee was bought. Bart and Jennifer packed up their Coleman RV, in which they lived since November of 2017, and moved to the farmstead. “It just kind of expanded from there,” said Bart.
The desire that Jennifer Moore had to have an alpaca started what is now a 40-acre farmstead with multiple heritage breed animals, an unregistered primitive campground and two Airbnb rentals.
The idea of the farmstead, according to Bart, was to have the feel of an 1880's farmstead with heritage breed animals, but with modern technology. Right now, the Moore's have around 100 to 120 heritage breed animals on their farm. “The heritage breeds would be the ones that have been around for a long, long time,” said Bart. “The American guinea hogs that we have are as genetically close to what Ponce de Leon left in Florida 500 years ago.” On the farm, there are Bourbon Red Turkeys, Gulf Coast Sheep, Rams, Pygmy Goats and others. There is also a number of Khaki-Campbell ducks and Guinea hens
On the farm, the first goat ever received was Cupcake the Goat. “Cupcake the goat has ear tag number one so that tells you all you need to know,” said Bart. Jennifer stated that they have a toy poodle, Joey the Farm Dog, whom Jennifer jokingly stated thinks he rules the place.
As for the use of the livestock, the Moores try to pick livestock that have multi-purposes. “For example, the goats could be sold for meat and can be milked,” said Bart. “The sheep can be sold for meat or they produce wool. The alpacas are single-purpose; they're kind of the special ones because they're wool is much softer.”
Jennifer uses the alpacas and the sheep for fiber for the purpose of producing yarn. “She has a spinning wheel in the house,” said Bart. Jennifer shears, cleans and knits products like scarves. Though some goats are used for wool, others are used for food.
“The pygmy goats are really a dual-purpose goat, so we milk them and with their milk, I make soap and cheese,” said Jennifer. “To separate it for myself, I don't name the meat-animals.”
Soap normally ranges anywhere from $3 to $5. The soap is all natural; made with no perfumes or dyes. Jennifer also produces jams and jellies, which she sells for $5. The jams and jellies are produced from locally-grown fruit: blueberries, satsuma, etc. Trips to the farmers market are not common as the Moores both work for the State of Florida off of the farm. “Weekends are our only time to do all of this stuff,” said Jennifer. “So it's hard to give up the weekend to go sit at the farmers market when that's when we're doing our most production.”
“We're doing it because we enjoy it,” said Jennifer in regards to caring for the livestock. “We're very busy; we kind of get home from work and start our second job.”
When the Moores are not out on the farmstead, they're prepping for guests as they offer Airbnb and HipCamp services. Since March, a small red barn on the farmstead holds a double bed and a futon couch, able to accommodate three guests with quaint comfort, cable television and internet services. Recently, the Home Field Advantage Farmstead was chosen as the number one Airbnb location in Madison County.
“We've had people as far away as Japan,” said Bart. “And we've had people from Australia.”
The Airbnb offers a washer and dryer unit, an indoor bathing center, as well as a private outdoor shower. Currently, the Moores Airbnb has 21 reviews, with a rating of 4.9 out of five stars. Aside from the farm-style cabin, the Coleman RV that was once the home of the Moores is being offered as an Airbnb rental. The RV can sleep up to seven guests with five beds. Included is a kitchen, a couch that turns into a bed and plenty of room for comfort and dining. The RV is also accommodated with cable television and internet. Both the cabin and the RV can be rented for $50 per night.
Most of the area that is now used for Airbnb was already on the land before its current use. Today, travelers can pay $50 to stay the night in this quaint little shack that holds a chest of drawers, a double bed, a futon couch, a television with cable, internet and photos adorning the walls showing the guests what's in and around Madison County.
With every guest, the Moores are sure to greet them with a smile and a farm tour if they would like. Bart also mentioned that if the guests are willing to help out around the farm at some point, they are more than welcome to experience the culture of Florida's prominent agriculture industry. The Home Field Advantage Farmstead Airbnb listing can be found at airbnb.com.
As the Moores are scout leaders, they have designated an area for outdoor, overnight camping. Once in a while, scout troops will visit the campgrounds for new missions and experiences. The primitive campsite offers an outhouse and posts to hang hammocks. For $16 a night, anyone can rent the campsite and stay overnight. Though not a registered campground, the site can accommodate up to six people with potable water, a fire ring, a fully-functioning background and picnic tables. To rent the campground for the evening, log onto hipcamp.com.
For more information about Home Field Advantage Farmstead, log onto facebook.com and type in “Home Field Advantage” to stay up-to-date about what's happening on the farm.