Connect with those you love at Joten Lake
Rejuvenate at this heavenly retreat!
Enjoy 45 acres of a former working farm that has been consciously turned into a peaceful sanctuary. This converted century barn in Dalton, Minnesota is so private you can truly find peace. Come and focus on your favorite people and activities: walk the land, practice yoga, go birdwatching, cook, or play games inside or out.
Host a family reunion, a friends' weekend, a craft circle, or a bridal party. Enjoy a bright, star-filled night, cook a meal together, or bike miles of local trails that double as snowmobile routes in winter. Plan some downtime and take a retreat weekend here to be with people you love in the beauty of nature.
Otter Tail County has been a special place for thousands of years, to Native Americans and early Viking explorers alike. Once you visit, you'll understand why, and it will become special to you too.
THE STORY OF JOTEN LAKE ACRES
Inspired by watching her great-grandmother on the family's century-old farm in Cologne, MN, Alison bought this farm in 1997. The Wiser/Schneider farm had dairy cows, tillable land, and acres of woods. The homestead had a water pump in the kitchen, and the kitchen stove required a fire to cook. There was a parlor with a player piano for music, and lots of space for eating and visiting.
The original farmhouse on Joten Lake Road required a lot of work. The house had a rotten foundation. Old buildings that couldn't be repaired, including a chicken shed, a wooden silo, a garage, and a horse tack shed, were removed. Many barbed wire fences and dozens of dumpsters of farm garbage and old farm equipment were also cleared. The barn was jacked up and a new foundation installed in 1999. Architectural plans were developed by SALA Architects, and the barn's reconstruction was done by Legacy Builders of Fergus Falls. The barn remodel was completed in 2017, the same year rentals began to share this special land and building.
Alison M.E. Tomlinson holds an MA in Communications from Saint Cloud State University in St. Cloud, Minnesota. She also holds a Life Coaching Certification in Somatic Cellular Relief from Soul Purpose in Longmont, Colorado.
