Campground Review: Hollydew Farm

 

Biscuit watching over her flock...

Hollydew Farm is located about thirty minutes outside Franklin, TX. It is not what one might call a destination place. It is out in the middle of nowhere.

BUT... if you ever find yourself in the middle of nowhere in East Texas and you are looking for a great place to rest your weary RV wheels, Hollydew Farm is a perfect respite.

We discovered Hollydew Farm through the Harvest Hosts membership website. I was hoping to find a farm near Mom's hometown where I could experience a taste of her childhood. I achieved my goal.

Darren and Karen are the hosts and proprietors of the farm. They purchased the 24-acre undeveloped plot of land eight years ago. Within twelve months they had a self-sustaining farm and it continues to grow with each passing year.

Entrance to Hollydew Farm

They have several fruit trees that line the gravel driveway leading to their home. Darren shared that many of the trees will take years to fully produce, but for now, they yield enough fruit to make several jars of jam and preserves to sell at the local farmer's market. They pride themselves on using twice as much fruit and half the sweetener. We sampled several 😋 While all were tasty, we particularly enjoyed the pear butter and strawberry salsa.

They also have an extensive produce garden. However, unseasonably warm temperatures in December followed by a freezing spell in January caused the garden to wither away. Karen was in the midst of replanting when we arrived.

Traffic jam on a duck farm...

The highlight of the farm, for me at least, are the ducks 🦆 They have over 90 ducks (and counting) and several different varieties. I was surprised by the many different personalities of these fine feathered friends. The older ganders milled about together in the shade while the younger adolescents frolicked in the open spaces. When one duck quacked, they all quacked. When one duck waddled in a different direction, they all followed suit. Hilarious!

That's why they need Biscuit, the Great Pyrenees, who keeps the ducks in line and makes sure all foreigners are fully vetted. She is a sweet pup, but she is a working dog. She sniffed both Geoff and me to make sure we were good enough for her ducks. And she kept her eye on Hero at all times.

Tasty farm goodies...

After dinner, Darren offered us a free tasting of several of their homemade products. We were more than happy to pay for our stay by purchasing several tasty items: fresh duck eggs ... fresh pork sausage ... scratch-made granola ... pear butter and strawberry salsa ... and some all-natural lip balm.

The weather cooperated and we spent a comfortable night with the windows open listening to the occasional soft quack from a distance.

For a complete list of all the campgrounds we've stayed (with short reviews), view our Places We've Visited page.