Palmquist Farm

New Palmquist Farm Website is up!

2009-12-22T11:21:00.003-06:00

As you can see, the newly redesigned Palmquist Farm website is now live. Please take a look around and let us know what you think. We've expanded many areas of the site to offer you even more information on what The Farm has to offer. You should especially check out all the new photos we've added to the photo galleries--there's now a photo gallery for each aspect of The Farm.

Space still available for New Years at The Farm

2009-12-19T16:52:00.002-06:00

If you are looking for a special place to spend New Years this year, The Farm still has some space available for a few more guests. Currently, the Red House is available for the weekend of New Years, and some individual rooms are also open in the Farmhouse. Make your reservation soon, though, as this space could fill up quickly!

Live Nativity at Palmquist Farm

2009-12-19T14:37:00.003-06:00

Palmquist Farm, together with Zion Lutheran Church of Brantwood, will be hosting a Live Nativity on Sunday, December 20th starting at 5pm. The nativity will take place in the horse barn at The Farm, and refreshments will be served afterward. All are welcome to attend! Please contact us if you have any questions.

Fresh Snow at Palmquist Farm

2009-12-11T12:09:00.003-06:00

Like many places in the Midwest this week, Palmquist Farm received about 8 inches of new snow. This is more than enough to ski on, so make your reservation now for a cross-country skiing vacation!

We're also busy decorating for the Christmas season. Today we're making fresh new wreaths to hang all over the Farm, and soon we'll have Christmas trees ready for our guests to enjoy.

We hope you've had an enjoyable winter so far, and we wish you safe travels during the coming holiday season.

Helen and Jim Palmquist

Palmquist Farm receives Century Farm award

2009-08-03T10:05:00.003-05:00

Here is the official news release with information about this unique award:

On August 11th during a banquet at the Wisconsin State Fair, Jim and Helen Palmquist will be honored with the Century Farm award. This award is given to farms that can provide proof of continuous family ownership for the past 100 years.

What started as a 40-acre subsistence farm by Jacob Gustafson, Jim’s great grandfather, has grown into a sprawling 800-plus acre vacation farm with a beef herd, a buffalo herd and acres of land devoted to sustained timber production.

Anton Palmquist, Jim’s grandfather, lived by the philosophy, “Times change, and businesses must change with the times." Anton, who emigrated from Finland when he was 16 years old, had been a logging contractor and operated logging camps at various locations in Northern Wisconsin. At that time, the farm served as a headquarters for the Palmquist’s logging operations. They stabled the horses there and grew hay for them in the nearby fields. During seasonal slow times, lumberjacks stayed at the farm and worked on clearing land and constructing buildings.

With the advent of forest mechanization, timber harvesting changed and “camp logging” became obsolete. Dairy farming became the most important activity at Palmquist Farm. Their operation was similar to the usual Wisconsin dairy farm at that time, with a herd of around 40 milking cows. Around that same time, the Palmquists began a timber stand improvement program, harvesting trees in accordance with the silvicultural practices established by DNR foresters. In 1976, Palmquist Farm was selected as Wisconsin’s outstanding tree farm for the year due to efforts in managing the farm’s forests.

A farm vacation program was initiated in the late 1940’s and over the years became more and more important. The dairy herd was sold in 1989 and was replaced by a beef herd and a small buffalo herd.

Today, tourism is the most important activity at Palmquist Farm. The farm is set up to provide meals and lodging for as many as 60 guests at one time. Thousands of people from all over the US and the world have visited the farm. Many return year after year. Activities include cross-country skiing, hunting, sleigh rides, horseback riding (bring your own horse) and simply relaxing on the farm. It is often used as a site for small conferences, business meetings, weddings and family or class reunions.

Palmquist Farm has been featured in articles in the Readers Digest, the New York Times and many local and regional newspapers and magazines. It has been the subject of a number of television programs, including a grouse hunt with retired football player Larry Csonka, which had an estimated audience of 40 million viewers.

This picture was taken between 1921-1922 in front of the Farmhouse and the family's 1917 Maxwell Model 25 automobile. In the photo are Anton Palmquist and his wife Alena (far right) with their children, and Jacob Gustafson and his wife Anna (far left).

Finnish American Weekend June 19-21

2009-04-15T20:59:00.001-05:00

This summer, The Farm is hosting a special Finnish American Weekend. Here's the info on the event.

Celebrate Midsummer Juhannus at Palmquist Farm June 19-21

Palmquist Farm has a rich Finnish heritage that is still celebrated today.

Your Midsummer Celebration Includes
-Traditional Finnish Meals
-Use of our wood-burning sauna
-Knox Creek Heritage Scandinavian Dinner (5 miles from The Farm)
-Two nights lodging (cozy cabins with fireplaces)
-Finnish baking demonstration by owner Helen Palmquist
-Hay ride to view The Farm’s nature & buffalo ending at local winery for wine tasting
-Presentation by owner Jim Palmquist about The Farm’s Finnish history
(you are encouraged to bring Finnish family pictures & stories to share)

Knox Creek Heritage Dinner Includes:
-Traditional Scandinavian food
-Midsummer decorations
-Open exhibits*
-Music
-May Pole

*The Knox Creek Heritage Center, an affiliate of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin, is composed of five buildings (a turn-of-the-century farmstead) representing several ethnic groups in southeastern Price County: the Main Farm House, circa 1900, a summer kitchen building, the Keto House (depicts a typical logging camp from the 1800’s, complete with kitchen and bunkroom), circa 1900, Spirit Baptist Church, circa 1890, the Waahto Sauna built in the early 1900s, moved to the site and restored, and a pole shed. All the buildings on the site are used to display artifacts, documents, photographs, and other memorabilia that represent the cultural, ethnic, and historical aspect of past eras.

$159/person/all inclusive

We hope to see you then!

Helen and Jim Palmquist

Activities

2009-04-10T15:03:00.000-05:00

Trail Riders!

Not only does The Farm have 700 new acres for you to explore, here is a list of local trails and fun activities that are 3-45 minutes away from The Farm:

New Trail Seekers…

Explore Holy Cross trail, located 7.5 miles north of Phillips. This trail has been developed specifically for horseback riding, and it features rolling terrain through a variety of timber types. Click here for more information.
Explore Timm’s Hill Park, home to Wisconsin’s highest point: Along with beautiful views of the north woods countryside year-round, the park features a sand beach, playground, boat landing, picnic tables, fishing, hiking trails, grills, and a shelter house. Horses are allowed on the hiking trails from May 1 to November 15. A coffee shop is also nearby. See the coffee section for more details.Click here for more information.
Smith Rapids Saddle Trail, located in Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, is a great trail to explore because it features a covered bridge. Built in 1991, this beautiful latticework bridge is one of the only two covered bridges remaining in Wisconsin. The bridge spans the South Fork of the Flambeau River. Click here for more information.
The Price County visitor’s website has a list of general horseback riding locations, including state parks. Click here to learn more.

Wine lovers…

Ride your horse to the Brigadoon Winery, a few miles from the Farm. The owners, Dave and Linda Welbus, along with their daughter Katie, offer wine tasting upon your arrival and are very knowledgeable about the craft of wine making. Brigadoon produces a variety of wines, some from grapes grown on site. Their homemade fruit and dessert wines are especially popular. They also sell gift items, including locally produced jams and pottery. Check out their website.
The 5 Senses in Phillips sells a variety of gift items including wine. Visit their website.

Coffee and tea fanatics…

Check out Hill of Beans Coffee Shop near Timm’s Hill outside Ogema, just a 12-minute drive from the farm. The café, in a Swiss-style lodge, sits on a slope overlooking a lake at the foot of the highest point in Wisconsin. Inside, you’ll find a beautifully decorated sitting room serving coffee, tea, soup and sandwiches. Click here for more information. Riding trails are found nearby in the Timm’s Hill park. See the trails section for details.

Small-town explorers…

Spend a day touring the town of Phillips. About a 30 minute drive from the Farm, Phillips has many interesting things to see. For coffee or a light meal, check out Homespun Coffee & Crafts, which also features a selection of northwoods-inspired gift items. For an even wider selection of gifts and home décor items, visit Minnow Lake Loft. And don’t forget to check out The 5 Senses, a wine and gift shop just a few blocks away. Also visit the Wisconsin Concrete Park in Phillips. Something of a local oddity, this parks features hundreds of concrete sculptures with embedded pieces of glass, stone and other found objects. Art depicts early settlers of the area and the local wildlife. Click here for more information.

Visit the Minocqua area, named one of four Midwest Living's "Favorite Family Getaways." Besides it’s many gift/antique shops and spas, Minocqua offers an excellent performing arts scene. Campanile Center for the Arts, a new fine arts facility, features music, theater, and educational classes. Lakeland Performing Arts focuses mostly on concerts. Northern Lights Playhouse puts on Broadway and family-oriented plays throughout the year. It is also known for children’s theater and summer acting workshops for kids. The Wildwood Wildlife Park can also be found in this charming town. The park is a small zoo in Minocqua featuring over 500 birds and animals.

Golfers…

Just minutes from the Farm, Prentice Golf Club in Prentice offers a 9-hole course. Call 715-428-2127 for more information.
Westwood Golf Course, located in Phillips, is a course that features 9 holes and offers dining at Sandtrap Bar & Grill.
Northwood Golf Club in Rhinelander features a highly-rated 18-hole public course and Mulligan’s Restaurant & Pub.

Not-so-serious Golfers…
For golfing on a smaller scale, visit the many miniature golf courses in Minocqua:

Holiday Acres Riding Academy & Miniature Golf
Settlers Mill Adventure Golf
Kastle-Rock Miniature Golf, located just a few miles north of Minocqua in Woodruff

Theater Lovers…

For a good live show, take a look at Northwoods Players based out of Phillips. This community theater group puts on at least one show a year, specializing in well-known Broadway musicals and comedies.

Nicolet Players in Rhinelander, an educational theater company, produces a few shows of its own every year.

For more theater and live entertainment venues, check out the Minocqua section above.

Festival folks…

Country music lovers won’t want to miss Rhinelander’s annual Hodag Country Festival featuring a full lineup of popular country singers. This year’s festival will be July 9 through the 12.
To get a taste of small-town heritage, come see Prentice Progress Days September 5-6 this year. The festival will feature a parade, softball and volleyball tournaments, amusement rides, live music, a horse pull, food, and more.
Tomahawk’s own Pow-Wow Days takes place every year on the 4th of July. This celebration also has a parade, along with a 5k/10k run, children's games, water fights with the fire department, music, and fireworks.

Swimmers’ Paradise…

With so many lakes in the area, it’s easy to find a good place to swim. The town of Phillips features both swimming beaches and public swimming pools. Visit Phillips City Beach, on County Road H in Phillips. It features a sand beach, changing room, toilets, benches, picnic table, and fishing. Contact the Phillips City Clerk at 715-339-3215 for more information. When weather isn’t cooperating, try the indoor Phillips Community Pool. Located in Phillips High School on County Road W, it features a large 3-5 foot pool, wading pool, diving well, and lap swim. Hours vary by season, so call 715-339-2143 or 339-2141 for more information.

For the budding fisherman…

Price County features many fishing lakes for both boating and shore fishing. Click here for information on locations, permits, and regulations.

The Antique shopper…

Antiquing types should check out Northern Bear Antique Mall. In Tomahawk, the mall is located on 205 West Wisconsin Ave. Call 715-453-6552 for current hours and information.

Four Seasons Antique Mall, located in Marshfield, is Central Wisconsin’s largest antique mall.

For Bowling…

Hodag Lanes in Rhinelander offers a full-service bowling alley complete with bar and grill.

Fresh produce lovers…

Just a short drive away, Catawba Farmers Market begins in early July and runs through mid September. Open Saturdays from 10-1pm. Features fresh, locally grown produce, maple syrup, honey, and homemade crafts. Click here for a map of Catawba.
Tomahawk Berry Farm and Farmers Market lets you pick your own strawberries when in season in addition to offering other farmers market goods.

For last minute horse tack and gear…

Visit Pleasant View Tack in Wausau to take care of your horse equipment needs. For hours and directions, call 715-845-3618.

Trail Report February 27

2009-02-27T12:53:00.002-06:00

Greetings From the Farm!

We still have a great trail base with 4 to 5 inches of new snow. The trails are in good to very good condition. Hope to see you at The Farm soon.

Have a great day!

Helen Palmquist

Trail Report February 20

2009-02-20T12:36:00.001-06:00

Greetings From The Farm!

Our cross country ski trails are all open and groomed with a pretty good base and 3 inches of new snow.

Have a great day!

Helen Palmquist

Trail Report February 14

2009-02-14T10:25:00.003-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day from The Farm!

We are happy to report that, even after the warm spells and rain the upper Midwest has suffered these last few days, we still have a good snow base! All our trails are groomed, and they are in fair to good condition. We also had 1 inch of new snow fall yesterday.

We hope to see you at The Farm soon.

Have a great holiday weekend.

Helen Palmquist

Trail Report January 23

2009-01-23T10:21:00.003-06:00

Greetings from Palmquist Farm!

The trails are in very good to excellent condition. All are tracked and groomed with an 8-10 inch base and 5 inches of new snow. Martin Luther King weekend was absolutely beautiful with temperatures in the high teens and new snow softly falling everyday. Here are some pictures a fellow took this past weekend. One is his wife on the ski trail. The next picture is of sika deer and buffalo from on the sleigh ride. The last one was our entertainment for the weekend. Some of our long time guests brought their instruments and joined in with the players we normally have sing.

Have a good day and hope to see you at The Farm soon!

Helen Palmquist

Snow Report January 5, 2008

2009-01-05T10:06:00.004-06:00

At this time our ski trails are in very good to excellent condition. We have set track in a 6-8 inch base on 15 kilometers of trail. The total snow cover is 12 inches. Some of our north trails will be closed for a few weeks due to logging operations beyond our control.

Our lighted trail is in very good condition and the skating pond is in good shape as we fortunately missed the rain that fell in some areas of the state.

-Jim Palmquist

Read What Palmquist's Guests Have to Say

2009-01-02T13:02:00.004-06:00

Here is an e-mail that we received from some guests who stayed with us over Christmas 2008:

Dear Jim, Helen and Family:

We had the greatest time with our family at Palmquist Farm from Dec 22 thru Dec 25. It was a dream of our sister Yvette’s to spend Christmas with us in a Winter Wonderland and Palmquist Farm was our Wonderland! :)

The White Pine Inn was so comfortable – and there were so many unique aspects - we’ve been in some big bathrooms before, but this was a first one to have a church pew in it!

We had so much fun with our excursions! I had not been sledding for 12 years (since college) and your hill was perfect! We also had fun on the sleigh ride, snow shoeing and cutting down a tree from the woods with Otis, who was also an unexpected treat – he is the greatest vacation dog. It was a Christmas miracle that our two brother-in-laws (Pat and Sergio), who do not like dogs at all, loved Otis. We’re all big fans! Please give him a hug for us. :)

And after a full day of playing, the In-Lodge massage and Finnish Sauna was such a relaxing retreat for the girls. The 2-floor Sauna was amazing… We also looked forward to our home cooked meals every day! The ribs and those silver dollar pancakes were my favorite. Ken's was the hot cereal...

Thank you again for such a welcoming resort experience, and thank you for judging our Gingerbread House competition! The grading sheets were the best! :) The girls will have to have rematch to beat the boys.

We would definitely recommend spending another winter vacation at Palmquist Farm to our family and friends!

Warmly,

Giovanna & Ken

The Farm featured in Minneapolis Star Tribune

2008-12-15T09:12:00.003-06:00

This weekend, we were pleased to see The Farm featured in the travel section of the Sunday issue of the Minneapolis Star Tribune! Read the article online by clicking here.

The Farm Mentioned in Forbes

2008-11-20T10:07:00.007-06:00

This morning I woke up to about an inch of snow on the ground and an unexpected article mentioning The Farm in Forbes magazine.

It’s a good day.

Go to:http://www.forbes.com/travel/2008/11/19/farm-fresh-vacation-forbeslifecx_rr_1119farmstay.html

Click on "Wisconsin" off to the right.

A Visit from Czech

2008-07-28T12:18:00.003-05:00

Greetings from The Farm,

We’ve been enjoying the summer season. I’ve been planting Merry Golds and Geraniums in between catching up with paper work. Ildy, one of our student workers from eastern Europe, is excited about her crop of hot peppers. Jim has been bailing hay and working with the cows, deer, and buffalo. Andy, who drives our team of horses, plowed a field by the road with the team and planted sun flowers. We’ve also hosted a couple reunions and some horse guests.

But the most exciting thing was a visit from a Czech family that worked for us back in the 90’s. We haven’t seen them in many years, so it was a fun reunion. We vacationed with them to Copper Mountain in Colorado. Here is a picture of all of us rafting.

Also, because they have a very successful log building business in Czech, the local newspaper wrote a story about their visit.

Click here to read it.

We hope your summer is going well, and come see us at The Farm.

Helen & Jim Palmquist

Horse Clinic In July at Palmquist Farm

2008-06-09T13:11:00.001-05:00

Jack Lieser, professional horse trainer and instructor, will present a 4-day horse clinic called Northwoods Challenge July 24-27 at Palmquist Farm. The clinic will cover the following topics:

• cantering

• stopping the horse

• building confidence at the higher gaits

• transitioning

• performing lead changes

• learning the counter canter

Jack plans to divide into teams, play games, and have a scavenger hunt. This is a fun way for you and your horse to learn together.

For more information, please contact Helen or Jim (1.800.519.2558, www.palmquistfarm.com, N 5136 River Road Brantwood, WI 54514, palmquistfarm@centurytel.net)

Sarah (www.jacklieser.com)

Celebrate Midsummer Juhannus at Palmquist Farm June 20-22

2008-04-06T12:14:00.002-05:00

Each year, Palmquist Farm, who has a rich Finnish heritage that is still celebrated today, hosts a Midsummer Celebration that includes:

-2 nights lodging (cozy cabins with fireplaces)
-Finnish baking demonstration by owner Helen Palmquist
-Presentation by owner Jim Palmquist about The Farm’s Finnish history(you are encouraged to bring Finnish family pictures & stories to share)
-Hay ride to view The Farm’s nature, exotic deer & buffalo ending at local winery for wine tasting
-Traditional Finnish Meals
-Use of our wood-burning sauna
-Knox Creek Heritage Scandinavian Dinner (5 miles from The Farm)

Knox Creek Heritage Dinner Includes:
-Traditional Scandinavian food
-Midsummer decorations
-Open exhibits*
-Music
-May Pole

*The Knox Creek Heritage Center, an affiliate of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin, is composed of five buildings (a turn-of-the-century farmstead) representing several ethnic groups in southeastern Price County: the Main Farm House, circa 1900, a summer kitchen building, the Keto House (depicts a typical logging camp from the 1800’s, complete with kitchen and bunkroom), circa 1900, Spirit Baptist Church, circa 1890, the Waahto Sauna built in the early 1900s, moved to the site and restored, and a pole shed. All the buildings on the site are used to display artifacts, documents, photographs, and other memorabilia that represent the cultural, ethnic, and historical aspect of past eras.

Please join us for this unique weekend!

We Still Have Snow!

2008-03-04T09:44:00.002-06:00

The snow is just beautiful! We now have a 20-30" base and just got 3 inches of new snow yesterday. The trail conditions are still very good as we have had below freezing temperatures that have kept a good quality of snow. Our fifteen day forecast is for highs in the 20's so we should keep these conditions for a while yet. If you still would like to enjoy some wonderful winter activitiesjust e-mail or call us as we have plenty of space available at this time of year and would love to see you!

Helen& Jim

Two young guests solve the Jesse James train robbery treasure hunt at Palmquist Farm.

Trail Report January 2008

2008-01-15T21:50:00.000-06:00

Trails are in very good shape with a 8-10 inch base and 3inches of new snow.

Enjoy a Sleigh Ride at Palmquist Farm

2007-12-29T12:38:00.000-06:00

Picture yourself with family and friends enjoying a horse-drawn sleigh ride at Palmquist Farm. After your ride, warm up in our log lodge with some hot cocoa or apple cider. Also enjoy our sledding hill and skating pond.

Click here to learn about other winter activites at The Farm.

Click here for rates.

Winter Wonderland at Palmquist Farm

2007-12-25T14:59:00.000-06:00

It's Christmas day, and we have 9 to 12 inches of new snow on top of a 5 inch base. The trail conditions are good to very good. The sledding hill is prime, and the sleigh rides are rockin'. See for yourself and have a Merry Christmas!

Farm Guest Writes about his Time at The Farm

2007-10-08T08:26:00.000-05:00

The following is an article that was written for Silent Sports magazine by Bruce Steinberg, a freelance writer and novelist as well as vacationer of Palmquist Farm.

“So—do you do striding or skating?”

This was a question Jim Palmquist asked me in earnest while I made my family’s reservations last winter for Palmquists The Farm in Brantwood Wisconsin. Chicago-suburbia born and raised, I couldn’t keep from thinking about Joliet Jake’s confusion over that country-or-western demand imposed on his blues band. Jim clarified things.

“I like to know ahead of time,” he said, “so I can groom the trails for you.”

“Groom your trails -- for me?”

“For your family. So, striding or skating?”

“Both for me,” I said. “Striding and snow-shoeing for my wife. Our son’s 5 and mostly likes to make snowballs into snowmen.”

“Okay then,” Jim replied evenly, as if he were taking notes.

December’s pounding of early snow had been decimated by warmer temperatures by the time our trip arrived in early January. We drove up I-90 out of Illinois, past Madison, veered right onto Route 51, and it looked as though the only choice we’d be making would be between whining or complaining.

My wife and I frowned out the car windows, witnesses to a sky of thin gray too wimpy to snow, and the barren pale yellow of sleeping grass and long-ago harvested corn stalk stumps. “Is there snow yet?” my 5-year-old asked, as silent-sporters almost everywhere were asking in the winter of 2007. I spied a patch of crust in the highway median, and desperately said yes.
At Wausau, it seemed as though hope was taking a breath, as if the patch of crust I had seen was beginning to breed. Heading the final stretch down Route 8, though, grayness prevailed and the snow we saw made the sound of “Help Me!” as it slowly passed on into water.
In winter, snow beautifies everything. Without it, you get the colors nobody takes out of the Crayola box. The same was initially true at Palmquists The Farm, including the gray-white slush that was left of a ski trail winding past the White Pine chalet we had reserved. But there were hints even then that The Farm stood defiant. First there was the huge, well-kept barn that stood brightly red and attractive near the entrance. Then there were the bright smiles of owners Jim and his wife Helen. Most striking, however, was that same earnest sound I had heard in Jim’s voice when I made the reservation. “We’ll take care of you.”

Before our son was born, my wife and I had done our share of traveling to places both near and far. It has been our experience, one I’m sure most people have shared, that every once in a while, some act of kindness or extra attention by a resort staffer or owner makes a trip special or extra memorable, and it happened at Palmquists The Farm over and over.
The first full day, I was set to skate-ski at 6 a.m., determined to find out whether yesterday’s melt-off had turned to ski-able crust in the morning’s cold. A sledding hill outside the door was rendered closed by the unsafe and closed skating lake at its base. I had to hike over and past this hill and another rise, and leap over a rivulet of melt, through a path in the woods where lumpy iced snow made me teeter about and my ski bases fear for their future. Then I found it.
Groomed snow. Corduroyed, even, and very ski-able. The sight of it left me wondering how this had happened. All of a sudden I was skiing on fast, winding trails where I had never been before, along an embracing trail of pines passing by creeks, small lakes, and wildlife, along flats with mild rises and falls, until I reached a lighted trail and came face to face with a hill that had absolutely no snow. I turned around, figuring these two or three kilometers were all I had, and skied back to repeat and pretend that the ski-able trail wasn’t so limited. Then I heard the noise. A snowmobile’s engine. And I discovered that my tracks were gone and replaced by new corduroy. Soon a man driving a snowmobile pulling a groomer met me at a T-intersection in the trail. It was Jim.

“Been looking for you,” he said. “You seem to know what you’re doing on those skis. Follow me.”
For the next hour, I skied behind Jim Palmquist, owner of Palmquists The Farm, son of Toine and Art who ran the place before they got too old and then passed. Jim and Helen, longtime hosts and caretakers of The Farm, took over to operate this land that the family has owned since the late 1800s. Yet time hadn’t worn at their enthusiasm. Suddenly, this skier who was barely holding on to his second-wave Birkie bib had his own, personal groomer.

Jim showed me the shortcuts and the secrets of skiing at The Farm when snowfall is weak in the area, to trails with snow that survived and were close to pristine because he had groomed them – for me. Twenty miles of it, although, Jim said, some weren’t very groom-able just then and striding tracks were not possible to set. Still, he took me to places where he knew the skiing was good, and understood about crust skiing and what was possible. He guided me to a herd of buffalo – that’s right, buffalo, and a deer farm where I had to pop off my skis, make my way through a special gate, to more kilometers of skiing where the snow was supposed to be icy and lumped, but had been groomed smooth. Again, for me. Even the purple sunsets felt specially ordered.

At the time, Jim and Helen Palmquist had no idea that I had begun to write a regular column for Silent Sports. They gave me no special favors beyond the special favors they give to all their guests. I knew when I got back home, that I would ask Joel Patenaude if I could tell you all about this gem-- not just the place, but the people that make Palmquists The Farm special.
“Jim built most of the hills on the trails many years ago,” Rita and Mike Shores of Mountain, Wisconsin, told me. Rita and Mike are a married couple of, let’s just say, many years, but who are youthful at heart and deed. They sat with my family and another married couple from Chicago with two teenaged daughters at our meals in The Palmquists Farm main house. “He literally took his equipment and built the hills. Not many or huge like the ones at Minocqua Winter Park or ABR, but nice for the kids to play on, and for some good rolling ski trails. Jim also put in the lighted trails some years ago so families can ski after dinner.”

Rita and Mike have vacationed at Palmquists The Farm nine times, and note that there are so many positives that world travelers find themselves drawn to The Farm for return trips. “This is not your fancy Lake Tahoe resort,” Mike says. “The rooms are attractive and well-attended, but what you get is a place that exists to remind all who come of what it was like to roam safely wherever you wanted to go, to explore at your own pace.”

The Palmquists themselves have been known to run a seminar on farm vacations. “You have to like people to go into this business,” Jim explained. “It’s as simple as the difference between friendly service versus service that feels like an imposition. Whether it’s at a hardware store or at The Farm, friendly service brings you back.”

Indeed Jim sits with his guests for meals, and Helen welcomes company while she and her crew prepare meals that are best described by Mike Shores: “Palmquists The Farm is one place I can ski ski ski, and still put on weight.” I would note, though, that Helen prepares meals to take care of the hearty meat-eaters, the vegetarian, the dessert aficionados, and the picky-eater child. Rita agreed with Mike that the highlight of their stay at The Farm is their interaction with people from across the country, who often meet as a halfway point between St. Paul and Chicago, to people who come from as far away as Europe.
But what about the skiing?

I’m a huge fan of Minocqua Winter Park, and drool at the thought of skiing River Run. ABR is out-of-this world fantastic, and having the expanse of the Birkie Trail to yourself is mind-blowing. These compliments to other trails also come from Helen and Jim, who are modest about their trails. They offer up that Winter Park is more challenging and only half an hour away, that Timm’s Hill is 12 miles away and offers great climbs. But allow me to be the critic here – when it comes to family and cross-country skiing, Palmquists The Farm cannot be beat.
Consider, for example, the interest level of skiing in your family. Perhaps the wife or husband is the avid skier, but not both. And the children are not quite into it. With most every other place, even after you settle into your hotel, cabin, or bed and breakfast, you then have to load up the car again with equipment, and travel each day to the ski trails, unpack and gather in limited or crowded warming buildings or chalets, then set out. Dad may want to ski hard for hours. Mom maybe for one hour. The son gets bored, the daughter gets cold, and everybody’s idea as to when to leave is far apart by hours.

But with The Farm, the trails run right along your door. Yes, the trails are not as challenging as Winter Park’s, but they do have some hills, and they are not wanting for beauty. You can pack on the miles without repeating your route, and if you prefer skating or striding, Jim will go out of his way to set the trails for you in advance, complete with a full piston bully groomer when conditions permit. There are a few challenging hills, and if you follow Jim’s instructions, you’ll find yourself on an appropriately named trail called Snowsnake that takes a back seat to no other trail for pure enjoyment.

The main thing, the fantastic fact, about skiing and Palmquists The Farm, is that after nearly three hours of hard skiing, I skied right up to my chalet door. There I found my wife and son engaged in full laughter, building snowmen. They went out snowshoeing from our door (bring your own or you can rent from the Palmquists). We watched Belgian draft horses (Pat and Pete, about the size of Clydesdales) get shoed, and then went out on a bell-jingling sleigh ride under blankets, through the countryside, to the buffalo, streams, and the most scenic aspects of The Farm. In better winter weather, there’s ice-skating and sledding, and no need to travel to get to any of it. You see, once you unpack, there’s no re-packing to get to the trails, nor a need to coordinate varied interest levels. It’s all there out your front door to satisfy each vacationer’s wants, to get back to that roaring fireplace at each vacationer’s pace.
And how many places encourage you to bring your pet?

Families can bring their own dogs to Palmquists The Farm, whether to ski-jor or not, or if you don’t have your own dog, an incredibly friendly black lab named Otis will keep you company while you ski, and then break your child’s heart when it comes time to leave him behind for home.

Helen noted that one little girl’s family, for her eighth birthday, made reservations at The Farm so she could celebrate with Otis. During my family’s stay, Otis joined my son and me for a ski-pulk ride (also available at The Farm), then came back to our chalet for a few Goldfish Crackers, before falling asleep with his head on our son’s lap.

During our stay, I noted two teenaged girls enthralled with a scavenger hunt cooked up by Helen’s and Jim’s daughter, Anna, who incorporated skiing and snow-shoeing, along with The Farm’s trails and buildings, in a search for a horse stolen by Jesse James. And how easy is it to enthrall teenagers these days? Each year, the treasure hunt changes its theme and adventure, but there is always a prize at the end of the hunt.

The prize for Jim and Helen, as Helen said with ease, is that they enjoy people enjoying The Farm.

It’s always a dangerous thing, I suppose, recommending a place for your traveling dollars. What if, like with music, people disagree? My gut feeling is that avid cross country skiers who are married with children, who may not be so avid about skiing, will still adore ABR, Winter Park, and the like, but will discover The Farm, and the way it and the people there warm over families. Palmquists The Farm, may I suggest, resolves the conflict that sometimes arises between the desire to ski and the desire to spend quality time with the family.

The written word, by the way, cannot do justice to the food and trails as the photographs on display on the Palmquists The Farm web site. Take a look at www.palmquistfarm.com, and you’ll see what I mean.

Bon a petit and bon a peski!

Celebrating Midsummer Juhannus at Palmquist Farm

2007-09-21T16:50:00.000-05:00

The following article appeared in The Finnish American Reporter. We think you might enjoy it.

A surplus of sunshine ushered in summer on Thursday, June 21st. And by the next day, I was celebrating midsummer in little Finland. Well, Midsummer Juhannus at Brantwood, Wisconsin’s Palmquist Farm. The farm’s owners, Jim and Helen Palmquist, hosted a Finnish heritage celebration the weekend of June 22-24. And they warmly welcomed me. Even with German and Norwegian roots.

The Palmquists actually did more than welcome me; they adopted me. Jim claimed me as an honorary Finn, and with the help of Helen and the other guests, he gave me a crash course in being Finnish. I found that to be a true Finn I would need to do three things: eat, laugh, and sing.

In eating and laughing, I naturally fit in with my new family. Helen’s traditional Finnish meals, which included creamed rice with raspberry sauce, oven pancakes with maple syrup, and pulla bread, easily made their way to my stomach, and the guests’ stories and Jim’s jokes kept me entertained. My favorite joke went like this. How can you tell an extraverted Finn from an introverted Finn? Well, the introverted Finn looks at his feet when he talks to you, and the extraverted Finn looks at your feet when he talks to you. I just hoped there wasn’t a way to tell a tone-deaf Finn.

Guest Seppo Palmqvist made it difficult for me to keep my can’t-carry-a-tune secret. The first night I arrived, he handed me and the other guests copies of the lyrics to his favorite Finnish song, “Juhannus on Meillä Herttainen.” When Seppo raised his hands to assume the position of a choir director, I became terrified. Here I couldn’t sing, and I didn’t even know the words. I decided to demonstrate an aspect of the Finnish character— honesty— and warned them about my singing voice. But that didn’t get me off the hook. Seppo offered a great line: “There are no bad voices, only untrained voices.”

While I appreciated the unconditional acceptance, I’m thankful the Midsummer celebration consisted of more than a sing-a-long. Two horses were nice enough to chauffeur me around the farm in a wagon as if I were Laura Ingalls Wilder and not the city girl I am. I got to showcase my hair-braiding ability, developed through the continuous styling of Barbie doll hair as a child, during Helen’s baking demonstration on pulla. At the nearby Knox Creek Heritage Center, five buildings and a diversity of artifacts, documents, and photographs taught me a tangible history lesson. By petting a fur hunting coat and paging through tattered school books, I encountered people from the past.

When I needed some quiet time, there was the wood-burning sauna, which I learned to be a Finnish staple. Guest Ellen Palmqvist compared sitting in the sauna to going to church, both experiences capable of bringing peace and rest. Thankfully, I was warned that too great a desire for peace could leave me a golden brown. Turn me, the baker, into the dough.

The truth is Palmquist Farm charmed me. Now, back in the Twin Cities, I find myself hoping to wake to the sound of croaking bullfrogs rather than blaring alarm clocks. I find myself wanting a morning walk past buffalo and barns instead of cars and condos. I’m a 21-year-old with old-fashioned tendencies, and so the Midsummer Juhannus celebration at the farm definitely agreed with me. I’ll have to make it back for next year’s celebration It was refreshing to be with people who really understand their heritage.

Ai häd a plessnt tuim.
Kari Schuetz, St. Paul, MN

UN Commission retreat held at the Farm

2007-08-14T21:06:00.000-05:00

At the Farm, it is our pleasure to pamper guests. And on July 7, we had the honor of doing so for 15 special Wisconsinites. The Wisconsin Governor’s Commission on the United Nations held its summer meeting/retreat here this year.

The commissioners, representing various student, academic, and civic groups in WI, united in an effort to accomplish three common goals: (1) sponsorship of statewide educational programs about the UN, (2) coordination of Wisconsin’s annual observance of United Nations Day, and (3) expression of and communication about views on issues affecting the UN. Though just recently resurrected by Gov. Jim Doyle, the commission has been in existence since 1959 when Gov. Gaylord Nelson desired to familiarize WI citizens with the UN.

Jim and I thoroughly enjoyed spending a day with the commissioners. And it seems that they enjoyed a day at the Farm as well. Commissioner John Smart of Park Falls, WI wrote:

Helen & Jim --

It's early Monday morning, and I miss my walk around The Farm, greeting the horses, the rabbits and the chickens [oh and you too, Jim!]. I miss sitting in Helen's kitchen with a cup of coffee and talking, while waiting for a terrific breakfast. I'm going to have to come back soon! I've been telling my mother all about it, and now she wants to come and visit you as well.

Thank you so much for a wonderful weekend. I'm sure that I speak for all of our group when I say that we had a wonderful time at your friendly farm home. You can be sure that each of us is already thinking of how we're going to get back to The Farm! And you can also be sure that we'll tell everyone we know what a great place The Farm is for a conference or meeting.

I hope to see you again soon.

John