No one can accuse B&Bs abroad of overcharging. Some of the farms here cost less than a night in the dorm of a British youth hostel. (Staying at Earls Court will now set you back £19, and that doesn't include breakfast). The weak rand makes South African farmstays particularly attractive just now. Many of these sites and the farms they promote don't accept credit cards, but when the prices are so low it isn't such an inconvenience. Some quote prices in obsolete currencies. In these cases, I've used the exchange rate on December 31 last year.
Darial, Trentino alla Adige, Italy
From £16 in 2000
agriturismo.net
With over 100 goats to admire and a position 1,100m up in the Dolomites, this is an appealing prospect. A pity that Agriturismo has relatively few properties on its books, and that some are only described in Italian.
Aberfeldy, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand
From £15
truenz.co.nz/farmstays/
This is more like it. The pick of this week's sites lists plenty of farmstays, most with sheep and horses and some, like Aberfeldy, boasting a kiwi fruit orchard. The owners will pick guests up from the nearest town and will cook supper on request.
Aeblegaarden, Odsherred, Denmark
From £14
ecoholiday.dk
Aeblegaarden is one of 15 organic farms where guests are usually encouraged to participate in the life of the farm - either by cooking or helping out on the land. The theme is "primitive luxury". Bedandbreakfast.dk lists accommodation for less idealistic visitors.
Lochem, Achterhoek, Holland
From £11
dutch-farmholidays.com/uk/
Not the most sophisticated of sites, nor the most remote of locations: but English is spoken everywhere, and the Netherlands are easy to reach by ferry.
Hathaway, Kwa Zulu Natal, South Africa
From £7
farmstay.co.za
Zulu history and Boer War battlefields are two of the principle attractions in Kwa Zulu Natal, but fishing and spotting "game", including giraffe, are also popular. Most of the owners supply photos of themselves, their farm animals and accommodation.
La Landec, Dinan, France
From £20 per room
bedbreak.com
Gites (gites-de-france.fr) are an obvious choice if you want a self-catering arrangement in France. You can identify the working farms on Bedbreak.com by the little tractor next to their name; this one is in Brittany and has been awarded two Golden Teapots out of a possible five by France's B&B association.
Ruklawki, Mazuria, Poland
From £7
www.poland.eceat.org
Thanks to a reader for telling me about ECEAT Poland, an effort to boost the income of small, organic Polish farmers. Agritourism.pl is another site worth checking, although in many cases the only contact is a telephone number. "We do not recommend a holiday on a Polish farm if you want to lose weight," it warns.
Pflaumermuehle, Bavaria
From £21
landtourismus.de
One of 40 German farmstays, Pflaumermuehle particularly welcomes children.
ros.taylor@theguardian.com
