The Big Raven Farm Blog

Explore Big Raven Farm retreat season — peaceful countryside retreats blending yoga, creativity, nature, and mindful workshops to help you reset, reconnect, and grow.

Join Joleen and Minnesota artist E.J. Klepinger for an inspiring chat about rediscovering creativity, answering your artistic calling, and living artfully.

When people imagine a retreat, they often picture warmth and abundance. Long days. Sunlight spilling through windows. Bare feet on soft ground. It is an understandable image. Warm seasons invite movement, expansion, and outward energy. Winter offers something else entirely. At Big Raven Farm, winter retreats are not a quieter version of summer. They are not designed to distract you from the season or make winter feel like something to get through. They are built around the truth of it. Winter is the most honest season we know. The Farm Without Ornament In winter, the land does not try to...

It usually starts with something tiny. You catch yourself staring at the same corner of the living room for the fourth time in a day, wondering why your own walls suddenly feel like they are leaning in. Or maybe you have that moment where you open the fridge even though you are not hungry at all. Sometimes it is snapping at a partner, or feeling weirdly emotional at a dog food commercial. I see it in people every winter. Cabin fever creeps in quietly, and by the time you notice it, the restless little beast has already pitched a tent...

Join the Big Raven Farm Cooking Retreat from March 26–29, 2026. Learn approachable gourmet techniques, from sous vide brisket to homemade butter, in a supportive, hands-on environment. Elevate your home cooking and reconnect at our scenic culinary getaway.