9 Farms in Wisconsin where you can spend the night and experience Agritourism
Learn about Wisconsin’s farming culture when you stay overnight on a farm.
Imagine waking up to the sounds of roosters, cows, and sheep. After you’ve gotten out of bed and made yourself a cup of coffee, you pull back the curtain to your very own farm scene. Agritourism in Wisconsin has always been strong, but the latest attraction is sleeping on the farm.
From dairy farms to sheep farms—and vegetable farms, too—several Wisconsin farms welcome guests to not only experience a night at the farm but also engage in activities that give you a low-risk glimpse into what it’s like to manage an agricultural business. This might mean milking cows, collecting eggs, or harvesting crops for that night’s dinner. When writing my book, “Wisconsin Farms and Farmers Markets: Tours, Trails and Attractions,” which published in 2021, my favorite interviews were with family-owned farms eager to invite others into a day in their lives. They are passionate about what they do, and once you hang out with them, it shows.
Here are nine farms in Wisconsin that will happily welcome you for a night.
1. Circle M Farm, Blanchardville
Kriss Marion manages Circle M Farm, a 20-acre farm in the Driftless Region with her husband, Shannon. They’ve raised their children here, among sheep, chickens, goats, steers, and hogs, after relocating from Chicago’s hustle and bustle. Accommodations are located in three vintage restored campers—a 1950s Friendship Vacationaire, a 1962 Canned Ham, and a 1967 Holiday Trav’ler—for the ultimate glamping experience. Rates include access to a dry cedar sauna, outdoor shower, shared bath, and swimming in Yellowstone Lake, as well as trout fishing (bring your own waders) if you wish. It’s recommended that you pack hiking boots to further explore the property on foot. Canoes, bicycles, ATVs, and kayaks are available for rent.
2. Velvet Sheep Farms, Sheboygan
For those who like to knit or crochet, this Sheboygan farm that raises sheep and culls their fibers is—pardon the pun—ewetopia as roving and skeins of yarn are for sale. While tucked into a rural area, the farm, which operates as a bed and breakfast, is still close to modern conveniences, giving guests the best of both worlds. Three different rooms are available for overnight stays: The Scout Room, The Olive Suite, and The Jewel Suite. Each has a private bath and boasts views of the sheep out at pasture, and the owners have given the sheep adorable names, such as Sherry Lou, Jewel, Flicka, Olive, Daisy, Goldie, Magnolia, and Poppy. Many are related by blood, and all are considered members of their family.
3. Our Thunder Moon, Oneida
Patti Schevers and Brad Berger operate this 100-acre, conservation-minded farmstead, honoring its indigenous roots to the Ho-Chunk, Oneida, and Menominee Nations. Schevers is a fourth-generation member of the family that established this farm, which is only 11 miles from Lambeau Field, attracting Green Bay Packers fans. With her partner, she’s restoring its wildflowers and native prairie, tending to goats, chickens, and horses. In the A-frame home, which spans three bedrooms and three baths, guests have access to a double-sided fireplace, yoga studio (morning yoga sessions available on request), and lofted living space. Activities might include hiking the 1.5 miles of trails or snuggling up around the outdoor fire pit to make s’mores or gaze at the stars. Bicycles can be borrowed, too.
4. The G Farm, Larsen
If you’ve ever wanted to try out tiny-house living, this regenerative farm can fulfill that fantasy. Ten years ago, Justin Duell branched out into farming after a career preparing taxes. Despite not having any farming experience, he quickly built his dream by planting 1,000 trees and raising animals that include cows, pigs, turkeys, chickens, and ducks. The tiny house is equipped with electricity and can comfortably sleep two people. There is also room to park a pop-up camper or small trailer if it’s a larger group. Food sold in the farm store, a result of what’s harvested on site, can be used to barbecue or grill dinner, bringing the experience full circle. This includes beef, pork, chicken, turkey, and vegetables. Canoeing and fishing at the property’s pond can also be arranged.
5. Wegmueller Farm, Monroe
Since Wisconsin is nicknamed the Dairy State, a stay at this dairy farm is an opportunity to immerse yourself in one of the reasons why. Now on its fourth generation, Dan and Ashley Wegmueller’s farm is home to cows, pigs, sheep, hens, donkeys, horses, and farm cats. A group of up to 12 people can easily spread out in the four-bedroom, two-bath farmhouse. There is also an outdoor fire pit, grill, and BBQ, as well as hiking trails and picnicking spots. Each stay includes an hour-long tour where you can interact with the farm’s animals, and the farm store sells food to enjoy in the farmhouse’s kitchen and dining area, such as seasonal produce, beef, and eggs. Horse-riding lessons and trail rides, as well as interactions with horses, can also be arranged.
6. Paradise Farm, West Bend
Bunk in either a glamping tent or an 1847 log cabin at this 10-acre West Bend farmstead that’s less than an hour from Milwaukee. During a stay, guests are encouraged to help care for the farm’s animals and participate in farm chores, although it’s entirely optional. Thankfully, there are modern conveniences at the log cabin that include a kitchenette and bath, so you don’t have to live like it’s the 1800s. In the suite is a primary bedroom with two beds, and the living room has a pull-out sofa bed, which allows a family or small group of friends to spread out. Access to an outhouse is included with the glamping tent, which features a full-size futon for sleeping. Whether lounging by the outdoor fire pit or inside near the wood stove, this farm stay is designed for relaxing. Paradise Farm’s owners, Mary and Jim O’Connell, also host educational programming for adults and children in topics like gardening, honeybee care, vermiculture, animal care, cooking, and natural-plant dying.
7. Irish Acres, New London
With a tagline of “glamping at its finest,” Dave and Jane Mulroy, the stewards of this 1848 organic and biodynamic farmstead, invite guests to stay overnight on their working farm. On the property, there are orchards, gardens, hiking trails, ponds, and labyrinths, and a stay in one of the Amish-built cabins includes a free guided tour by the Mulroys, who are fifth-generation farmers continuing their family’s farming dream after leaving Ireland during the Great Irish Potato Famine in the 1840s. The cabins each sleep up to four people and carry cute names—Bovine Barn, Chicken Coop, Pig Palace, and Sheep Shed. Meals can be enjoyed on the outdoor patio or in the cabin’s indoor dining area, and guests can help harvest fruits and vegetables from the greenhouses. For a more rustic experience, there’s the Fairy Glamping Cabin (an off-grid log cabin) and Hayloft Hideaway (your very own loft in the barn).
8. Starry Nights Farm, Burlington
This family-owned, grassfed and certified-organic beef farm also produces pork, lamb, and chicken meats. Overnight stays at Marisa and Paul Maggio’s working farm are in the lower-level apartment of an energy-efficient, solar-powered home and available to book through Airbnb. In addition to the usual amenities—such as a bath and full kitchen—there’s a Donkey Kong arcade as well as board games to help you unplug. Guests can sleep in the bedroom as well as on two pull-out sofas. Outside is a fire pit and a patio with a grill to enjoy on warm days. The owners also love to give guided tours to overnight guests.
9. Palmquist Farm, Brantwood
Helen and Jim Palmquist raise beef cattle on their 800-acre North Woods farm, and the property has been in Jim’s family since the early 1900s, starting with a 40-acre plot and growing over time. Long before agritourism became a hospitality trend, the family had welcomed overnight guests, as far back as 1949. Accommodations are split between five cabins as well as rooms in the lodge. Each cabin has its own wood-burning fireplace. Guests can use the farm’s wood-fired, Finnish-style sauna and enjoy Helen’s home-cooked Finnish meals, just like they’re a part of the farming family. Other activities include horse-drawn carriage rides, cross-country skiing, hiking, horseback riding (by bringing your own horse), meeting the farm animals, and hunting (when in season) for ruffed grouse or whitetail deer.
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