InnFormation

Going Green

Haley Farm Bed & Breakfast - Going Green

Haley Farm Bed & Breakfast - Deep Creek, MD. Our efforts to go green and the kind of things you can do also
What exactly does going green mean? What difference will it make to you as a guest? I would like to explain what this means to me and why I started this process for the B&B. We think you will breathe a lot easier at Haley Farm because of these and other changes.

Wayne and I have always (since the 1980s) composted and recycled and reused as much as possible. We did this because we don't like waste. Both of us have lived overseas where people live on a lot less and thus conserve more. We are blessed in this country for having such abundance, but we do have a tendency to be a throwaway society.

Over the years I have come to recognize that its not just conserving that is important but also making sure that one lives in a non-toxic environment. Living in Garrett County as I have since 1993, I have been blessed with a lifestyle that is envious - clean open countryside with few pollutants - the air is cleaner, the water cleaner, urban noises are far away, and lack of light pollution means we can see the brilliant stars at night.

I read "Green This!" by Dierdre Imus in 2008. Ms. Imus has been promoting green living at her ranch in New Mexico and with the hospitals she has been working with. You may want to go to the library and check out this and other books on how to make your environment safer. I hope that it will inspire you to make some positive changes in your own life. Here are some changes we have made at the B&B (and I am sure we will think of others down the road) and that you may want to adopt:

1. Replacing all cleaning products with natural bio-degradable products without toxins - so we will be cleaning the bathrooms, windows, furniture, floors etc. with non-toxic products. You will then be inhaling fewer toxic substances (at least while you are staying with us).
2. Replacing the shower curtains so that you wont be inhaling plastic when you shower.
3. Replacing the detergents we use for washing the robes with phosphate free, non-toxic alternatives. At present we have a laundry service for towels and sheets.
4. Buying organic wherever possible for food we serve you. Also buying locally so that it is fresher and has to be transported a smaller distance.
5. Although we don't farm that much (a lot of the farm is taken up by the horses) we want you to be aware that do not use pesticides in the orchards or in the gardens.
6. The water at Haley Farm is well water that is quite delicious. It is really clean and pure and has been minimally treated (the health department makes us treat it for any bad bacteria that may be present) - it is similar to Deer Park water which comes from the same area.

“From the beautiful farm, scenery, fantastic breakfasts, and the hosts, Bobbi and Pete, we couldn't ask for a better place to get away. We've made this a yearly tradition!!” [more reviews]

“My boyfriend gave me this for my birthday. We have stayed at a number of B&Bs and just love the personal service and pampering you get. We just loved Haley Farm. Its so beautiful.” [more reviews]