Our Journey
I opened a gym in December of 2019. You know what happened next. After 3 years of struggling to keep the gym going we closed it down. Annie quit her job and we left the world as we knew it behind us. We knew that the way we were living wasn’t fully aligned with our values. We bought a small camper and spent a little over a year WWOOFing and traveling from Maine to Mississippi to California and eventually back to Wisconsin. Learning from and witnessing how many people were living help us to solidify how we wanted to live. We knew we wanted to homestead and build a space for community wellness and healing. Strength Play Nature (Farm & Fitness) is just that.
The Farm
The Past
Our 40 acres sits in the middle of what the locals call Black Valley. From what we’ve heard this parcel had some of the best pasture at one point and was a excellent foraging spot. There are a little over 3 acres of burr oaks that is engulfed with golden rod, prickly ash and multiflora rose. The middle of the property has been used for hay. The 9 acres of mixed woods is home to the sugar maples. We also have a great spring fed stream that has been perfect for tipping our toes in on a hot day or enjoying the little gurgles as we sit quietly on its banks.
The Present
We took the 3+ acre hayfield on the eastern portion of the property and made it our home site. We built our cabin and another shared building with kitchen and bathrooms. The chickens were the first animals and our helping to fertilize and graze the site of our orchard. We also planted the first iteration of an annual vegetable garden. Our food system will not only help to sustain and nourish our bodies but will be used to provide meals for our extended events and some limited on farm sales. You can definitely walk away with some of our maple syrup that we harvested and cooked down. Rock has embraced the role of builder and has constructed a one of a kind playground featuring interconnected black locust logs and an ever expanding zen rock garden of strength. We also have some bees that are being taken care of by Rock’s dad and both of our boys are learning to become beekeepers with Grumps.
The Future
Our goals as stewards of this property are connection and balance. Let’s spend time getting to know all the plant friends and observing the changes of each season brings. We know maple trees were an important symbol of seasonal renewal for indigenous tribes and we hope to honor that by tending our sugar bush with reciprocity in mind.
The Driftless landscape used to be made up primarily of oak savanna. We hope to preserve the existing stand of oaks and expand it to have a mini oak savanna on our property. This will serve as a primary grazing space for our cows, sheep and goats. Goats will most likely come first to help us manage the shrub layer around all the oaks. We plan to add 1 species every year or other year.
Our orchard will feature apple, pear, peach and cherry trees. We will also incorporate various fruit and nut shrubs to create a more resilient and diverse perennial food source.
Beyond the Farm
The surrounding area is a recreation and nature lovers paradise. We are located 10 minutes north of Ontario, the canoe capital of the famous Kickapoo River. We are 15 minutes north of Wildcat Mountain State Park a wonderful place for hiking and horseback riding. We are just over 20 minutes north of the Kickapoo Valley Reserve (KVR) an 8,500+ acre tract of land with some of the best ecology in the region and a prime example of why people love the Driftless area of Wisconsin. In 2021 KVR started a dark sky initiative making it a great place to start gaze. The Drifless region is also home to some of the best trout fishing in the country and we have small trout easment just across from our property. The Elroy-Spart bike trail (first rails to trails conversion in the U.S.) has an access point in the Town of Wilton 5 minutes north of our farm. If mountain biking is more your speed definitely head to the Kickapoo Valley Reserve and enjoy the 25 miles of Driftless terrain!
