A 3-Day North Idaho Farm Trip
Cozy coffee shops, pumpkin patches, a shepherd’s hut, regenerative farming and three days of farm-to-table eating across Post Falls, Sandpoint, Clark Fork and Bonners Ferry.
Three days, three corners of the Panhandle and the fall roadtrip of a lifetime for our little family. The North Idaho Tourism Alliance invited us to spend a long fall weekend exploring the farms, ranches, markets and farm-to-table spots that make this region so special, and it turned into one of my favorite trips we’ve ever taken! Our daughter just turned one and has always been on the go so we knew she would love three days of getting to see all the animals as we adventured from Post Falls up to Bonners Ferry.
This trip was hosted by the North Idaho Tourism Alliance with the Post Falls and Sandpoint Chambers of Commerce. As always, every opinion here is my own.
What is Agritourism?
Agritourism is any experience that brings you onto a working farm, ranch or orchard. There’s no single official definition in the U.S., but it generally means farm businesses that welcome visitors, from picking your own pumpkins and taking a class on a flower farm to touring a creamery, shopping a farm stand or spending the night in a farm stay. For families, it’s a hands-on way to see where your food comes from, and the money you spend goes straight to the farm families doing the work.
- Keep the soil covered year-round
- Disturb the soil as little as possible
- Keep living roots in the ground
- Grow a wide variety of plants
- Bring grazing animals back onto the land
On the farm, that looks like cover crops, compost, crop rotation and rotational grazing. The goal is healthier soil that holds more water, supports more wildlife and grows more nutritious food. We learned more about this throughout the entire tour and I love how passionate every farmer was about bringing this process to their land!
The trip at a glance
Everything on this itinerary is an easy drive from Coeur d’Alene: Post Falls is right next door, Sandpoint is about an hour north, Clark Fork a half hour east from there and Bonners Ferry is another half hour north. Our daughter has never been fond of her carseat but our route gave enough breaks (and perfectly timed naps) to where it didn't feel like we were cooped up in a car for too long.
Day 1Coeur d’Alene & Post Falls
We kicked things off close to home, with a day that went from coffee to pumpkins to flowers and ended at a tiny house on a working flower farm.
DOMA Coffee Roasting Co.
Breakfast · coeur d'alene
There was no better way to start a farm trip than with a coffee roaster that has been part of North Idaho for more than two decades. Terry and Rebecca Patano started roasting in their garage after moving here, and in 2004 DOMA became the first USDA-certified organic coffee roaster in Idaho. The name combines their sons’ names, Dominic and Marco, and it also means “home” in Croatian.
I had to order their pumpkin spice latte for fall and the spicy avocado toast with an egg on top. Taylor had a latte and breakfast sandwich, the best thing about marriage is getting to taste everything your partner orders so his meal was equally good. Doma partners with other great businesses like Back Pocket Bakery, another local favorite!
Lunceford Family Farms
Pumpkin picking · Coeur d’Alene
Lunceford is a small family farm right on Seltice Way that grows U-pick strawberries in June, sweet corn in summer and pumpkins every October. During the fall pumpkin harvest you can pick your own pumpkin straight off the vine, from classic carvers to coral “Cinderellas” and bumpy “Warty Goblins,” then wander the corn maze, visit the baby goats, launch apples from the apple cannons and grab a pumpkin donut on your way out.
Pumpkin Flower Arranging Class at Sowing Joy Farm
Afternoon class · Post Falls
Sowing Joy is a family flower farm in Post Falls that Ondrea and Chad Kidd started in 2020. They grow heirloom flowers using organic practices and host U-pick events and on-farm workshops like wreath-making and floral arranging, all under a big open-air pavilion with chandeliers.
In the pumpkin arranging class, we were greeted with hot apple cider and snacks before turning a hollowed out pumpkin into an arrangement of fall blooms and greenery.
The farm also runs a program called Petals of Joy that donates flowers to local organizations and people who need a little brightness.
Kelly lead our class and did a wonderful job explaining the best ways to fill the arrangement while giving us time to bring our creativity to life. I'm not a crafty person but I love how my arrangement turned out! They host classes throughout the year so make sure you're following to see announcements and how you can visit the farm.
Overnight in the Shepherd’s Hut
Farm stay · Sowing Joy Farm
After class, we didn’t have to go far: we checked into The Shepherd’s Hut, Sowing Joy’s tiny-house farm stay. It’s cozy and thoughtfully done, with a bed nook under the window, a kitchenette with a stove and fridge, a full bathroom and a porch with rocking chairs that looks out over the pasture.
The hut has a story of its own. The owners first fell for shepherd’s huts while watching the British home show Escape to the Country, where a couple had restored an old hut as a glamping rental. Written accounts of shepherd’s huts go back to the late 1400s, and by the 1800s they were a familiar sight across rural England, giving herdsmen a place to shelter out in the fields. Most were abandoned by the 1970s, but today they’re making a comeback as restored rentals, home offices and summer houses.
With family roots on a farm in England, the owners knew a shepherd’s hut had to be part of Sowing Joy. Building one in Idaho turned out to be anything but simple: that classic rounded roof took some searching to find a crew willing to build it, and the interior was finished twice before it was just right. Their hope is that guests come to the flower farm to relax, unwind and connect with nature and each other.
The Range Market
Market tour · The North Yards at Millworx, Post Falls
The Range Market is a family-run artisan butcher shop, market and restaurant in The North Yards at Millworx. Co-owner Jay Wymer runs it with his sister, mother and father, and their focus is simple: everything is made on-site, by hand, and sourced locally. You’ll find fresh-cut meats, made-to-order sandwiches, prepared foods, shelves of local pantry goods and a wine bar with room to sit and stay a while.
Jay gave us a tour of their production rooms where they do all of their processing in-house throughout the week. We tried several different flavors of their jerky and now that's one of our daughter's favorite snacks! We picked up a bottle of Rosemary Manor's Cabernet Sauvignon to have back at the Shepherd's Hut, a local winery based out of Post Falls! We will definitely be back to the market especially during the holidays.
Dinner at Republic Kitchen + Taphouse
Dinner · Downtown Post Falls
We ended the day at Republic, in a home built in 1910 for English immigrants Samuel and Ann Young. It’s the only Post Falls site on the National Register of Historic Places, and it was restored to keep its character when it opened as a restaurant in 2017, with a big deck and string lights out front.
We started with the Belly Snacks, crispy pork belly and brussels sprouts, with the Republic Burger for Taylor and Burmese Pork Bowl for myself. Everything was delicious and Kalona loved coloring between bites. They carry all local or Northwest craft beer and have a great happy hour from 3-5PM daily!
Day 2Sandpoint & Clark Fork
Day two took us north across the Long Bridge into Sandpoint, then east along the Clark Fork valley toward the Cabinet Mountains. The drive in October is stunning with all the fall colors as you drive over Lake Pend Oreille.
City Beach Organics
Breakfast · Downtown Sandpoint
City Beach Organics is a family-owned organic café where everything is made from scratch. The menu runs from breakfast through lunch with smoothies, juices, coffee drinks and plenty of vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options, and there’s a little shop of locally made goods and Sandpoint apparel inside.
I had to order their Pumpkin Spice Latte to try against Doma's and it was equally good. On brand with the fall theme I also got their Pumpkin Spice Pancakes and Taylor ordered a fan favorite, the Sausage and Egg Melt. It was a beautiful sunny morning so we sat near the big windows looking out to the entrance of City Beach towards the lake.
Shingle Mill Blueberry Farm
Farm visit · Sandpoint
Fred and Patty Omodt planted their first blueberries in the Selkirk Valley in 2010, and it’s still a family-run farm. They tested dozens of varieties before landing on the six they grow, and the berries are pesticide-free, so you can eat as you pick during summer U-pick season. You’ll also find their berries at the Sandpoint Farmers’ Market. In mid-October, the bushes turn a deep, glowing red, which made for the prettiest walk.
If you want to wake up right on the farm, Patty and Fred rent out the Blueberry Bungalow, a yurt-style farm stay tucked into the cedars and overlooking the U-pick rows. It sleeps six with two bedrooms plus a loft, has a retro kitchen and a skylight for stargazing, and there’s a sauna on the farm that guests can use from 5 am to 11 pm. In summer you can walk out the door and pick blueberries from a farm that grows around 35,000 pounds a year, and their 25 hens sometimes have eggs to share. It’s about 10 minutes from downtown Sandpoint, 12 from City Beach and 30 from Schweitzer, with trails and tubing on the Pack River nearby.
Patty shared some delicious blueberry fudge and freeze-dried snack bars with us before we hit the road for Clark Fork. We will be back in the summer for a full day of blueberry picking next season!
Elk Ridge Naturals
Farm tour · Clark Fork
Elk Ridge Naturals is a small farm in the Clark Fork River valley, right beneath the Cabinet Mountains. Jeff and Lisa started it in 2020 by clearing an acre near their home, then added drip irrigation and more than a mile of raised beds. They grow organically (not certified) and are known for their strawberries, along with currants, garlic, tomatoes, basil, winter squash and homemade jams.
We picked a handful of strawberries to taste and I know I'll be driving the hour and a half back next summer just to have these again!
Traveling by RV? Elk Ridge is also a Harvest Hosts location, with two grassy pads that fit rigs up to 40 feet. They sit right at the edge of National Forest land, a short walk from the strawberry and vegetable fields, so you can wake up to mountain views and go straight to U-pick.
Mountain Cloud Creamery
Community event · Clark Fork
Mountain Cloud Creamery is a working farm in Clark Fork with a dairy, an apple orchard, gardens and a farm store stocked with raw dairy products made from their animals. The farm is owned by Matthew and Terces Engelhart, and it hosts seasonal events and tours throughout the year.
We went to their apple pressing event where various apples were set out for attendees to try and cast their vote on the best apple flavors. We also tried some of their cheese and fresh hot apple cider for the perfect fall activity.
The coolest thing we discovered is their farm spa. A wood-fired cedar sauna sits right on the edge of a crystal-clear, creek-fed cold plunge, with pasture and mountains all around. Heat up in the sauna, then step off the deck into the plunge.
Traveling by RV? Mountain Cloud is also a Harvest Hosts location, with two level, pull-through grass sites across from the farm store that fit rigs up to 35 feet. Spend the night on the 76-acre farm, end the day in the sauna and cold plunge, and stock up at the honor-system store on cheese, butter and ice cream made from their Jersey cows.
Western Pleasure Guest Ranch
Ranch stay & dinner · Gold Creek Valley, Sandpoint
Western Pleasure has been in the same family since 1939, when Riley Wood bought 160 acres in the Gold Creek Valley. Today it’s a working cattle ranch of about 1,300 acres, and the family opened it as a guest ranch in 1991. Guests stay in a 10,000-square-foot log lodge or in private log cabins, and the ranch offers horseback riding, an indoor riding arena, horse-drawn sleigh rides and cross-country skiing. It’s open year-round.
Dinner was a family-style ranch meal in the lodge, the perfect end to a day spent on farms. I'm already planning our next trip back, we might have horses in our future with how much Kalona loved them!
There is so much to do on the ranch that I would recommend staying for at least two nights. They have sleigh rides in the winter as well that I am adding to my Christmas bucketlist!
Day 3Bonners Ferry
Our last day took us up to Bonners Ferry, a small town in the Kootenai River valley surrounded by farmland and mountains. Taylor is actually from Bonners Ferry so it was fun exploring his hometown through a different lens on this trip!
Lore Coffee Roasters
Roastery tour · Main Street, Bonners Ferry
Lore was started by two friends, co-founders Graysen Spiller and Nick, who moved to North Idaho from opposite ends of the continent and met at church here. They describe their style as Nordic: shorter roast times that stop before second crack, so the coffee tastes like itself rather than smoky or burnt. They buy from expert farmers and producers from around the world, and every coffee is tasted and lab-tested.
The roaster itself has a local story too. Lore bought their machine from Diedrich Roasters, a Sandpoint company that has been building coffee roasters since 1980. The Diedrich family’s coffee roots go back to a plantation in Costa Rica, and after moving the business to North Idaho in 1993 they now ship roasters to coffee companies around the world, from Spokane to Norway. It’s pretty special that a Bonners Ferry roastery is running on a machine made just down the road.
We were able to try a coffee cupping for the first time while visiting and it was such a cool experience! One of my favorites was the El Paraiso, a floral and peach flavor that was light and unique. You can sign up for a cupping experience on their website below!
- Freshly ground coffee goes into a row of small bowls, and you smell each one dry first
- Hot water is poured over the grounds and they steep for a few minutes, forming a “crust” on top
- You break the crust with a spoon and lean in for the aroma, which is often the best part
- Once the grounds are skimmed off, you slurp the coffee loudly from a spoon so it sprays across your whole palate
- Between tastes you note the sweetness, acidity, body and aftertaste of each coffee
It’s a little loud and messy, and it’s the best way to taste how different coffees from different farms really are.
Brunch at Under the Sun
Brunch & shopping · Main Street, Bonners Ferry
Under the Sun is part shop, part café and bistro, set in the building that used to be the town’s hardware store. It still has the rolling ladder, the wood floors and the tall shelves, now filled with home décor, antiques, clothing and gifts. The café serves organic food and house-roasted coffee, plus beer and wine.
Taylor ordered Jack's Reuben and I had Kyle's Deli Sando (warmed) for the perfect lunch in their cozy bistro. We wandered downstairs to find a fun surprise hiding below. A consignment boutique with super cute clothes for fall! The back had a sweet little play kitchen that Lona liked sorting through while I browsed.
Homestead Produce
Farm tour · Bonners Ferry
Homestead Produce grows vegetables in the fields and in big hoop houses and raises hens out on open pasture. Walking the rows, we learned how their feeding practices and farming methods show up in the flavor and nutrition of what they grow.
Thousands of eggs pass through their production room and get delivered to local grocery stores and restaurants like Winter Ridge Natural Foods in Sandpoint and Pilgrim's Market in Coeur d'Alene. The eggs we had for breakfast at City Beach Organics the morning before were most likely Homestead eggs!
Hymas Family Farm
Farm visit · Bonners Ferry
Hymas Family Farm is a regenerative farm with 29 acres of pasture and 15 acres of woods, with mountain views in every direction. Every morning the cows are milked, eggs are gathered, the sheep are tended and the pigs are fed, and their farm store sells eggs, steaks, chops, bacon and milk, plus organic soft serve when it’s available.
We tried raw milk soft-serve for the first time, sweetest with just maple syrup and a little bit of sea salt and it was delicious! We also walked down to their glamping tents that visitors stay in throughout the warmer seasons for the perfect getaway on a working farm.
Want to stay the night? The Hymas family also hosts glamping on the farm, with two tents tucked into the trees: “Family Glamping in the Woods” and “Glamping – Meadow in the Woods.” The family tent sleeps about five with a queen bed, a single mattress and two cots, and comes with a camp stove and cookware. Guests have a shower and bathroom, pickleball and basketball courts, trails through 15 acres of woods and a front-row seat to farm life, from milking cows to gathering eggs. Glamping is closed for the season and reopens next spring on Hipcamp.
Dinner at The Burger Dock
Dinner on the way home · Sandpoint
We stopped in Sandpoint for burgers on the drive home. The Burger Dock started in 2014 as The Old Tin Can, a food truck in a 1959 Shasta trailer, and grew into a restaurant in 2019. It’s known for hand-cut fries with a secret house fry sauce, the top-selling Old Tin Can burger and the Sticky Burger with peanut butter, bacon and cheddar. If you've been following us for awhile you already know that Burger Dock is a family favorite for a reason! I am an Idaho gal through and through so I am particular about my fries and these ones are at the top of my list!
Taylor went with the tried and true Popper and I ordered their October special the Boogie BLT because it's a collaboration with Back Pocket Bakery's sourdough so I knew I needed it! We had the most beautiful sunset as we were enjoying our meal and on the drive home. Burger Dock also has a location in downtown Coeur d'Alene so you can give it a try in either town!
Where we stayed
Tips for planning your own North Idaho farm trip
- Book farm stays and classes ahead, especially on the weekends.
- Pack boots for muddy fields and layers for cold mornings and warm afternoons.
- Many farms are seasonal and hours change with the harvest, so check before you go.
- Bring a cooler for farm-store meat, dairy and eggs.
- Expect spotty cell service in the valleys around Clark Fork and Bonners Ferry, so download your maps.
- Traveling with little ones? Plan naps around the drives between towns.
Make sure you’re following @roamcda to see more from this trip, and check out my North Idaho brewery guide and The North Idaho Trifecta for more ways to explore.
Free download
Christmas in Coeur d’Alene
Experience holiday magic in North Idaho
Get the full guide to everything you need to know about planning your holidays in Coeur d’Alene, including events, festive food & drink, tips for planning and insider information.
Keep exploring
You might also like
