Driftless Area Farmhouse Guest Suite

About Martin J Richards

We have been married over 30 years, have 3 adult children, raised 5 foreign exchange students, and have had multiple careers-Marty has done real estate/insurance sales, retirement education, and relationship management, and now is the tourism director for Richland county. Teri has been a Labor & Delivery nurse, a professional photographer, and has been a flight attendant with Southwest Airlines for 5 years. We love travel-domestic and international and have stayed in many guest homes around the world. We have recently remodeled some unused space in our farmhouse so we can open our home to guests. We started our agri-tourism business 3 years ago-doing guided tours at farms, cheese factories, wineries, and breweries. We love good food, sustainable living, and meeting new people. We have also remodeled our downstairs during the Covid year and are adding 2 rental spaces a mile down the road. We love to host people and can't wait to expand our tour business as well.

Why Martin J Richards chose Richland County

Our grandsons are the 5th generation on this family farm and we have lived in this home over 26 years. The home was built in 1929, during the Great Depression. It is a knock-off Sears & Roebuck bungalow/craftsman-style home. We have restored the home to its original glory and plan to eventually rent the whole home at some point. The home was constructed by 2 men who lived on the farm in the chicken coop. They received room & board with Great Grandma Alta feeding them during construction. The cost was around $2000 and the white & red oak used in the trim/flooring was actually harvested from the farm property. Marty's mom Alice lives next door and Marty's sister-Annette also lives next door-truly a family farm. At one time Willow Valley Farms milked over 200 registered holsteins. They discontinued milking in the late '80s. The family is hospitable and gracious. They will leave guests alone and are quiet and probably the most humble people anywhere-good Wisconsin folk. The home is surrounded by hills, forests, fields, and a Class A Trout stream in the heart of the beautiful Driftless Area. There is a 2 lane state highway in front of the home with quick access to Richland Center. Local attraction-Elephant Trunk rock is 1 mile away. The Ithaca (unincorporated) community is welcoming and warm. We had over 600 square feet upstairs that we were not using anymore and decided to make the space into a guest suite. The remodeling was done in the spring of 2019 and the space has been completely renovated. The bathroom is all new construction. We have completed the renovation of our downstairs and we love to show it off to our guests! We have tried to stay true to the Arts & Crafts movement and have put a lot of time and attention into details like our oak trim, quartz countertops, stain glass windows, wood floors, gas fireplace, and sauna. If we are home, we love to give tours of our full renovation.

What makes this Studio unique

This space is a perfect little suite for a couple to enjoy the weekend away. The patio is yours to use as well-we want you to enjoy using the grill, fire pit, farm tables, and bistro lights. We have a great expanse of sky with no light pollution-perfect to see the stars. We are very well-connected to the community and love good hospitality. As parents, grandparents and international host parents-we love having people in our home. We love hospitality so much, we started an agri-tourism business, Ridge & Valley Tours, and designed our remodeled suite with guests in mind. We have stayed in well over 40+ guest accommodations around the world (on another platform) and as a flight attendant, we have stayed in some of the best corporate hotels in every major domestic city. We can give you as much privacy as you want. We welcome dogs that are well-behaved and well-trained. You can exercise them off-leash with a hike behind the farm. Please clean up after your dog at all times. All dogs must be with guests at all times, stay off the bed and couch, and cannot be left alone in the suite. We do have a dog-a 50 pound Plott hound named Bailey. She is loveable and sweet. We love to snowshoe and would love to see Richland County become a snowshoeing destination as it is perfect for the sport. We can give you expert guidance on how to snowshoe and destinations to access. We also have some private routes on the land behind our farm.