Aryn Henning Nichols

Annie Coleman never forgot the summers she spent growing up at her grandparents’ Golden Horse Ranch resort in Westfield, Wisconsin.

Situated about 60 miles north of Madison, the ranch hosted guests for a full week. Days were filled with horseback riding, archery, and boat races, with evenings saved for square dancing and campfire songs. “It was a very community- and family-oriented experience. There were fourth and fifth generation families that had been coming since the late 1940s and early 50s,” says Annie, who currently splits her time between Chicago and the Driftless. “It was a really special place.”

The closure of Golden Horse Ranch in the 90s was heartbreaking for the guests, Annie, and her family. “I always had in the back of my mind that it was something I wanted to recreate. At first, I wanted to rebuild the exact same place. But, as time goes on and you live your life, you become more developed as an adult and human… the idea shifted and changed.”

The first step in turning her dream into a reality was finding the perfect location. After years of searching Annie finally found it: 79 acres of land near Soldiers Grove, Wisconsin. 

“I was living in New York City and I drove up to upstate New York. I thought, ‘If this was just in the Midwest this would be a dream!’ When I moved back to Chicago, I started searching – I would look in Michigan and Indiana. But I wasn’t looking in Wisconsin because I thought I knew Wisconsin,” Annie says. “I remembered my grandmother saying that the artists lived over in the west part of the state. So, I went over to visit western Wisconsin which, of course, is a part of the Driftless area. I immediately fell in love!”

Annie purchased the property in 2009, but it would be years before Red Clover Ranch would open for guests as a retreat center and event space. They officially started construction in 2020 and hosted their first season in 2023.

“It still took me quite a while to figure out what it was exactly I wanted to do, position myself to be able to do it, and finally, to face the fear of taking on the task,” Annie says. “I always felt compelled to create some sort of retreat center – sharing our space with other people and showing them how beautiful it is to be close to nature. That was one of the experiences that my family’s ranch provided. It’s really powerful.”

Inspiration for the name was rooted in Annie’s memories of the Golden Horse Ranch, where her grandparents, who were both blind, bonded over their creative out-of-the box thinking and the joyful freedom of horseback-riding. The beloved horses at the ranch grazed in red clover pastures and her grandparents’ initials are both RC: Robert and Ruth Coleman.

“It was a seed that was planted so long ago. When the ranch closed, I took a bunch of pictures of the red clover as a reminder,” Annie says. “I also discovered red clover is such a wonderful medicinal herb. Now that the name has been out there, people are like, ‘do you know red clover is really good for hormones? Red clover is really good for this! Red clover is really good for that!’” 

Building Red Clover Ranch

Of course, building this creative space in the Driftless would take more than just a little bit of magic. Annie laughs as she reflects on the sheer number of obstacles she encountered along the way.

 “I think a lot of people have dreams of doing something like this. And any dream that you have is challenging – especially when you’re creating something new,” Annie says. “Financing was challenging. Construction was challenging. Making all the decisions was challenging. Keeping my enthusiasm up and figuring out how to make it all happen while also working a full-time job was challenging. But, you know, things that are worth doing are really challenging!”

Her goal was to create a place that honors and protects the land, fostering a harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature. During construction, they had to clear some planted pine trees. A neighbor milled the trees so Red Clover could repurpose them for siding on cabins and the bathhouse that were built in that same area. And the old barn on the property was lovingly restored to become a spacious yet intimate event space for up to 75 guests, with a full-commercial kitchen, a brick oven, a bar, a screened-in porch, and two spaces for gathering.

Their cabins and bunkhouse provide lodging for up to 19 guests. The Japanese- and Scandinavian-inspired shared bathhouse features an outdoor shower and sauna, as well as a screened-in porch with a summer kitchen and lounge area – the perfect place to sip a coffee or watch a sunset.

“The Driftless Region is endlessly unique, making our valley and ridge tops one-of-a-kind. We created our buildings to be in harmony with the land, with a balanced mix of rustic and modern amenities,” Annie says. Red Clover Ranch runs operations on 97 percent electric, using very little gas, with the hope to move away from dependence on fossil fuels and convert to solar-powered energy in the future.

The Ranch Experience

Folks can come to Red Clover Ranch for a variety of holistic health, creative, and nature based Driftless experiences, like yoga retreats, biking, business, art, or writing workshops, and more. They also offer collaborative dinners with guest chefs, dance parties with live bands, company offsite events, and a few weddings, too! 

In addition to all of this, people can simply come for the “Weekend at the Ranch” cabin package, inspired by Annie’s grandparents’ week-long stay at Golden Horse Ranch. The Red Clover Ranch team provides meals and some onsite activities, a list of fun things to do in the area, or guests can simply spend their day hanging on the screened-in porch, playing games, taking naps, picnicking in the high pasture, sitting in the sauna, making a campfire, or hiking on trails.

One of the main goals of any Red Clover Ranch events is to highlight the many talented farmers, makers, and artists in the area. 

The kitchen and food program at The Ranch is run by local chef Dani Lind of Rooted Spoon Kitchen and Table. Dani is an expert in local and seasonal farm-to-table cuisine – committed to sourcing at least 75 percent of her ingredients from nearby farmers and producers.

“Dani has formed really great relationships with these farmers. It is incredible to have this connection and network, because it is so inspiring for guests when we can say, ‘almost everything on this table is local!’” Annie says. They also strive to use Wisconsin-made beer, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages. “The fact that we have access to that level of expertise and industry in this area – it blows peoples’ minds!”

“And Dani’s food is just so memorable,” Annie continues. “She is such a treasure to the Driftless Region and to Red Clover Ranch.”

First Year Reflections and Faith in the Future 

After a year of welcoming guests to Red Clover Ranch to form unique and lasting relationships with not only one another, but also with the environment around them, Annie expresses gratitude for all the help she got along the way. And she realizes sometimes you just have to jump in and have faith.

“Faith in yourself. Faith in your belief system. Faith in making it all happen and getting to the end. It truly takes an act of faith to believe in your idea and build on it… You really have to stoke that faith – it is powerful,” says Annie. “You don’t know if anyone is going to believe in it or show up and then you have all these wonderful people not only show up, but also bring their talents, their kindness, and their support. I would not have gotten this done alone. I really would have run out of steam if I didn’t have all of these amazing friends from Wisconsin and Chicago pushing me forward – they knew how exhausted I was. I have a really deep sense of gratitude for them.”

As they move into their second season, Annie reflects on one of her favorite experiences of their first year – a memorable night featuring one of her favorite bands: “There was this moment as the music started fading out, you could hear the frogs, an owl hooted, and we started hearing the nature surrounding us. I get shivers just thinking about it again,” Annie says. “Community, creativity, and nature. I think those three things together create a certain kind of magic.”

Lynsey D. Moritz

Lynsey D. Moritz is a Decorah, Iowa native who has planted roots in rural Southwest Wisconsin. She is a graphic designer, freelance writer, and budding herbalist. Lynsey enjoys learning traditional skills, adventuring with her husband, and being a part of this inspiring Driftless community! lindenfern.com – Instagram: @LindenFern

Check out upcoming retreats and learn more about Red Clover Ranch at redcloverranch.com

Nature and community come alive in the spring. There is so much beauty in bloom, the palpable buzz of growth can create an infectious energy of abundance.

Yet, just like no two flowers bloom the same, your growth will not look like that of another. Comparison will only stall your progress. It’s important to remain centered.   

To do this, we need to settle into a place of self-awareness, identifying the unique sources of nourishment that allow us to feel most radiant. Then, we can develop a life aligned with those sources. Let this season of your life become less about blooming and more about growing.

The Danger of Comparison and Competition

Life doesn’t come with a roadmap, and it’s easy to get lost on the ever-changing path to what we call “success.” Finances, relationships, work, responsibilities – it can feel impossible to manage it all. 

From this perspective, it’s easy to feel like a failure. We look around and think everyone else has figured it out, and falsely believe they’re managing it all with ease. This is the danger of competition and comparison. 

Comparison requires that we are better or worse off than someone else. When we view others from this vantage point a natural competition emerges. We need the best job, salary, family, car, house. . . whatever it is, we need it to win. And in highlighting only our successes, we struggle to express our vulnerabilities. This mentality harms everyone involved and prevents us from truly knowing and being known by others. 

Zoom out for a moment. Tap into the humanity of it all. Look at the role every person plays. In this way, we can start to see the importance of each individual in the collective. We can view our own success within the context of our community, state, nation, and even world. Each of our contributions matter. We all make an impact, period. We are a piece of the larger whole. 

Aim for Contentment 

Discontentment thrives off the process of comparison and competition. It’s driven by a feeling of never being good enough. It tells us that to be happy we need to achieve, a belief that only leads to deeper discontent. 

Contentment does not come from success. It stems from a practice of gratitude and a feeling of having enough. When all our basic needs are met, we can find contentment in the present moment. 

It is easy to find contentment when we are living in alignment with our purpose. We do this when we strike that delicate balance between living in the present while holding a vision of our future. Our enjoyment comes from the process, not the outcome. 

Visioning a Purpose 

To escape the trap of comparison and competition we need to get clear on our purpose.

Your purpose will call to you like a beacon. Each time you get close you will feel it – in the joy it brings, the warmth it spreads, the impact it makes, or the passion it inspires within you. No one else gets to decide what that is. It might not even be the thing you are best at. Perhaps, it is something you’ve felt a yearning to cultivate. Maybe it’s something you have not even discovered yet. No matter what it is, it is impossible to miss. 

To start aligning with your purpose (even if you’re still finding exactly what that means to you) you need two things: vision and values. 

Your vision is an image of your life that inspires you. What lifestyle would allow you to feel the most secure, free, happy, or alive? It’s greater than a goal or acquisitions, and can be both aspirational and realistic, including things you have experienced and things you are working toward. Turn to this vision when you feel hopeless or uninspired. 

Your values will guide you like a compass. When you are feeling lost in life, they will provide direction. Just like your purpose, only you can decide what matters most. It could be family, love, responsibility, freedom, leadership, security, or something entirely different. You decide. 

Your values can act as an antidote to comparison and competition. When people unintentionally (or intentionally) push their values on you or you find yourself feeling the itch of competition, re-center by reminding yourself what is most important to you. Move forward, holding steady to your own values and vision of success.

Hone in on Your Habits 

When we start to get clear on what truly matters most to us in life, we need to allow other things to fall away. We all accumulate mindsets, responsibilities, and habits that distract us from our true purpose. These things can stick with us unconsciously, and if we want to make room for things that are more aligned, we need to learn to clear them away. 

Of course, we all have some responsibilities we do not enjoy. But not everything we do should feel like a chore. Find a way to derive pleasure and meaning from your responsibilities whenever possible. See the worksheet following this article for ways to align your life with your visions, values, and purpose. And remember, change takes time. Little by little we can realign mindsets, habits, and responsibilities.

Bloom in Your Own Time 

Contentment requires an acceptance that we will not always be at our peak. Instead, we might think of life like a cycle. Consider the flower. It begins buried as it germinates. This is when we start to develop our vision. Then, the seed begins to sprout. Yet, that growth remains hidden beneath the surface. Consider that much of your growth in life will remain hidden at first. However, if we are patient some (but not all) of that growth begins to surface. 

As our growth becomes visible, our roots grow stronger. You might think of your values, vision, and purpose like those strong roots. 

Just like the flower, we will bloom. We will have periods of outward growth that others will marvel at. It’s important to appreciate moments of being in full bloom while remaining connected to our deep roots (values, vision, and purpose). 

Then, there is a natural cycle of death and rebirth. We will accomplish some goals, revisit others, and cut some out completely. This is part of the process. It allows us to reflect, redirect, and begin again. Your growth is perennial. 

Accept Where You Are 

You are exactly who and where you are meant to be. You don’t need to be moving at any other pace. Your timing is exactly right. 

Believing in some pre-destined goal or milestone is just another comparison trap. No matter where you are, you have achieved many goals and learned valuable life lessons. You get to take those things with you, and they will propel you on your journey. Those things you are less proud of? You can choose to leave them in the past, but honor that they made you into the person you are today. 

We all make mistakes but that does not mean we need to live with regret. Every day is an opportunity for greater growth. Self-acceptance allows you to take what you’ve gained and leave the rest. 

If you struggle to practice self-acceptance a therapist can help. They can also help to identify unconscious mindsets, habits, or patterns that hold you back in life, and help as you explore your values, vision, and purpose. 

No matter who you are or what you have done, your time to bloom will come. There is always greater growth than what appears on the surface. Perhaps your roots are just buried deep. Nourish them. 

Olivia Lynn Schnur

Olivia Lynn Schnur is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling. She is also a certified yoga teacher and reiki master. Olivia’s writing is infused with her mental health and yoga training with the goal to inspire, educate, and uplift others. To learn more, or to book a yoga or reiki session, visit oliviaschnur.com. 

For many families in the area, it’s not spring without a trip to the annual Maple Festival at Greens’ Sugar Bush in rural Northeast Iowa.

Gideon Green was the first generation to arrive in Iowa in 1850, settling his family by the Yellow River in the Bloomfield Township of Winneshiek County, near present-day Castalia.

Many years and five generations later, Dale Green and his wife Karen maintained the land and home as they built up Spring Valley Farms, running a bull breeding operation and beef cattle farm. And across the gravel road sits a vast grove of maple trees that the Greens tap for sap every spring, carrying on a tradition that began in 1851 – just one year after Gideon Green decided to call Northeast Iowa home – making it the oldest continually operational business in Iowa.

Starting each February, the family rallies together to pull sap from roughly 1,100 maple trees, collecting it in underground cisterns to await the cookhouse. When things are in full production mode, the evaporator is running every day, boiling sap into syrup, sugar, or candy. 

And then, ever since 1991, Greens’ Sugar Bush hosts the Maple Festival, inviting folks out to welcome in the new season and fresh syrup. It is an outdoor event, rain or shine (or snow – eek), always held the last Sunday in March and the first Sunday in April (unless Easter falls on one of those Sundays, like it does this year). 2024 Maple Festival dates are Saturday, March 30 and Sunday, April 7. 

“When we first started the pancake breakfast, we put up a big tent on the hillside above the evaporator building and used only one grill to make the pancakes,” says Jeni (Green) Melcher. “The picnic tables did not set level, so it was advantageous to sit on the uphill side just in case something got spilled.”

They’ve learned a lot since then, fine-tuning table placement and the number of grills needed for the roughly 2000 people (give or take, weather-depending) who come out over the course of those two days to enjoy all-you-can-eat pancakes, sausage, applesauce, and drinks. And of course, real maple syrup. (Hot tip: You can bring your own container to buy bulk syrup for home, although they have pre-packaged options available as well). 

From the start, Dale and Karen taught their five daughters – Jody, Lori, Stacy, Jeni, and Wendy – the business of tapping and processing maple syrup. And in 2021, Jeni (daughter number four) took over as leader of the Greens’ Sugar Bush sap operation, along with her husband, Tom Melcher, and son, John.

The Melcher family has a dairy farm just south of the Sugarbush. It’s situated on land where Jeni’s great, great, great grandfather, Steven Allen, homesteaded and is across the road from the farm where Jeni grew up and her parents still live. Jeni and Tom do most of the Spring Valley Farms field work and help care for the small herd of beef cows still on site as Dale and Karen ease into retirement.

It’s a retirement well-earned. In addition to regular farm work, Dale and Karen have worked hard to create a legacy for generations to come in the form of conservation efforts on their land. In 2003 Dale Green received the National Cattlemen’s Association’s Region III Environmental Stewardship award, and in 2016 the State of Iowa Conservation Farmer of the year for his efforts to prevent run-off from the livestock operation reaching the Yellow River. They planted nearly 9,000 trees along the river, fenced off the waterway to keep his cattle away from it, and installed roughly a mile of stream bank stabilization.

Thinking about the future of the land and how it will suit the next generation is how legacies like the Greens’ are built. 

In this Q&A, Jeni (Green) Melcher reflects on being the sixth generation to carry on the traditions of Gideon Green, making syrup and making memories for families for years to come.

Name: Jeni and Tom Melcher, John (14-year-old) 
Age: 48
Business: Greens Sugarbush
Year Business Established: 1851
Business address: 1411 111th Ave, Castalia, IA 52133
Website: Facebook page Greens’ Sugar Bush

1. Tell us about the “leap” moment. When did you decide to take the reins on the family business? 

My family has been making maple syrup in Iowa since 1851; I am the sixth generation to do so. After 173 years you hate to be the one that says, “Maybe not this year.” My parents were getting older, and it just seemed like the time to take over. This business is truly a family tradition. I have four sisters that all help, I am just the one that is in charge.

2. What’s the best thing about being your own boss? 

The best part is getting to carry on the tradition.  

3. How about the worst?  

The worst part is knowing that you are responsible for everything, there are days that you doubt the decisions that are made and wonder if after all these years you will be the one that does not succeed. 

4. How do you manage your life/work balance?  

The making of the maple syrup only last about two months. We sell syrup the rest of the year. The hardest part is that we are dependent on the weather. The season normally starts in early March and lasts until Mid-April. There will be times that we are working at the sugarbush every day and then there will be a cold or warm snap and we won’t have anything to do for a whole week. We are dairy farmers in real life so there are always chores to be done no matter what. We rely on family members to help out so that everything gets done.

5. What’s something you look forward to each year when it’s time to harvest syrup?

The best part of the season is the “smell”. When we are making maple sugar candy the syrup gets to boil in a pot for about an hour. Just sitting watching the syrup boil and smelling it is the best. Second best is eating the warm maple sugar. I also love telling people our story. Every family has a unique history, ours just maybe a little sweeter than some. Just like I am the sixth generation to make the syrup, there are generations of people that have been coming to buy the syrup and that is a very special thing.

6. Is there something you don’t look forward to as well?

We have a saying about the syrup season – “We dread it coming, the middle of the season is kind of fun, then you can’t wait for it to be done.” When the temperatures start to warm in the spring we know that the syrup season and all the work that goes into it is almost here, then once the trees are tapped, help has been found and everything is up and going it is fun. 

As I said before, we are dairy farmers. Those chores still need to be done every day, as the spring moves along there is field work that needs to be done, about that time the syrup season gets wrapped up, so we move on to the next thing. There is no way we could carry on the tradition without our family members and some good friends.

7. Do you see the Greens’ family tradition of syrup-making continuing into the future? 

The world around us is continuously changing, but some things still stay the same. This year is shaping up to be a challenge. The February weather says it is time to make syrup, but the calendar says to wait a couple more weeks. But my husband and I will go out and tap the trees, signaling the start of yet another season. I am confident that we will gather sap at least once and boil it down to syrup and the tradition that my family started so many years ago will have continued. Will it be a great year, nobody knows, but that almost does not matter. Carrying on the tradition is more important. The older trees in the timber have literally been tapped by generations of my family, but there are getting to be fewer and fewer of them. Just like the next generation of Greens is learning how to make syrup, the next generation of trees is slowly growing along with them to hopefully be ready to take the older generations place when the time comes, but nothing in the world is guaranteed.

2024 Greens’ Sugar Bush Maple Festival dates (rain or shine): 
Saturday, March 30, 10am – 2pm 
Sunday, April 7, 10am – 2pm