Farm Offers Animal-Inspired Retreats

Farm Offers Animal-Inspired Retreats Windy Goat Acres in Chelsea, Iowa, is a 15-acre animal sanctuary and farm retreat welcoming visitors of all kinds. “My partner, Jim Carney, and I found this little piece of land,” says Jessica Kettler, farm owner. “We started with just a horse and a few goats and some chickens.” At that time, Kettler was a full-time artist looking to create something that would support other artists and creative folks. “I dabbled in hosting small arts fests and little intimate events on the property,” she says. It didn’t take long to see the potential for hosting retreats, larger events, and fun farm stays for families looking to connect with animals and nature. “We wanted to offer people a space to simply wake up and enjoy peaceful country life, filled with sunsets, farm-fresh eggs, and peacefulness away from chaos.” Carney, an experienced builder, drew up plans. “We brought his vision to life, with help from some friends,” Kettler says. Today, the farm has two 24-ft. yurts, three cabins, and a charming little “hobbit house” built into the ground. “We now host artist retreats, wellness retreats and some fantasy retreats, along with small weddings, bachelorette parties and food-to-table events.” Most guests come from Midwest population centers like Des Moines, Chicago, Minneapolis-St. Paul and Iowa City, as well as neighboring states. Windy Goat Acres remains distinctive in the rural retreat space by staying open to new ideas. “We want everyone to feel welcome, to feel like they can share their own visions with others.” The farm is also home to many goats, sheep, llamas, horses, ducks, chickens, peacocks, emus and potbellied pigs. “Some were taken in because they needed a space to live,” Kettler says. “Each animal is so friendly, which makes it more special for kids who are meeting them for the first time. No matter what brings people to our property, they’re generally so excited to see the baby goats, to feed Bentley the potbelly pig a popsicle, watch the peacocks put on a full tail display, and maybe receive a llama kiss.”  Kettler finds joy in meeting so many people and seeing them have positive experiences on the farm. “We read about some of their favorite moments in the public journals in all the glamping sites,” she says. “It makes us feel like we’re doing good work, offering a sense of calm to help guests create good core memories.” However, the workload of such a diverse operation can lead to burnout. “Between animal care, meeting guest expectations, and organizing unique events, it’s difficult to juggle all at once.” Lodging costs range from $75 to $135 per night. They can be found on Facebook and Instagram, with listings on the booking websites Hipcamp.com and Airbnb.com. Guests can also add experiences such as snowshoe rentals, llama hikes, goat socials, painting and more. Kettler’s advice for similar operations is to be willing to work really hard. “Count on a lot of tears and sweat and uncertainty, but also lots of love. We get to spend every day with what we call our ‘barn fam,’ and they’ll always remind us why we love doing this, even when it feels so difficult some days.” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Windy Goat Acres, 3091 Q Ave., Chelsea, Iowa 52215 (ph 319-573-0799; windygoatacres@gmail.com; Facebook: Windy Goat Acres; Instagram: @windygoatacres).

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