Family Farm Retreat: 2 Homes + Private Pond, Minutes to Rocky Fork Lake

An hour east of Cincinnati & southwest of Columbus
Minutes from Rocky Fork Lake
A world away from everything.

Come visit a place in Amish country, where the grass is greener, your coffee is smoother and the stars shine brighter; a place where you can catch a few fish and your breath. Close to adventure, yet quietly tucked away on a 82-acre picturesque farm, The Open Gate Farm is a quiet retreat from a noisy world - the perfect place to slow down, re-connect & create treasured memories. Read more below under "The Open Gate Invitation".

Located in Amish country, the quaint town of Hillsboro (established in 1807) is centrally located 1-1.5 hours from Dayton, Columbus & Cincinnati and minutes from Rocky Fork Lake and Serpent Mound.

Boxwood House sleeps 10 in a spacious primary bedroom (king), a cheery sunroom (queen sofa bed), two upstairs bedrooms (one queen and one room with two full beds) and a cosy library (queen sofa bed).

The Carriage House sleeps 6 in a large bunk room (one queen and three xl twins) and a beautiful sleeping porch (king).

Looking for adventure? Rent boats and kayaks or book fishing trips on Rocky Fork Lake. Spend the day visiting art or history museums or sampling gourmet eateries in Cincinnati or Columbus. Visit The Air Force Museum, underground railway sites or learn more about the Wright Brothers or the poet, Paul Laurence Dunbar in Dayton. There is plenty to do no matter the time of year or the weather!

While we currently don’t allow events, you’ll have access to 82 beautiful acres, including hiking trails through woods and pastures and across creeks, fishing in a stocked pond (catch and release only please) and sipping your morning coffee overlooking green pastures or beside a misty pond. Visit with our jersey cows, Dolly and Daisy, and take pictures with our two adorable valais blacknose sheep, Siegfried and Tristan, a unique breed from the mountains of Switzerland.

This is a working farm. We live on the property and are available if you need anything. Feel free to reach out for your needs and to book hayrides and learning experiences such as making maple syrup from freshly tapped trees, foraging tours, gardening and bread-making classes & participating in old-fashioned farm chores. Visit kinderfarmfamilydotorg to learn more. *Learning experiences are based on the season and host’s availability.

You may be greeted by four friendly dogs.
Also, we are in the country and, while the internet has good speed (usually between 30 and 150 mbps), sometimes phone connections via the internet can be spotty. We find this can be an opportunity to disconnect from technology and better connect with yourself, family and friends.

"The Open Gate Invitation"

In 1979, Dr. Elen Langer created a setting designed to bring people back to the 1950's. Men in their 70’s and 80’s lived in this environment for one week and were instructed to move and live in the way they would have, twenty years younger. Within days, their strength increased, they stood taller, saw farther, heard better, and remembered more. Outside observers noted they even looked younger. Their bodies were beginning to reflect what their minds told them was true. Science has found your brain is flexible. Every thought you allow to nest, every feeling you feed, every habit repeated, literally shapes your brain and builds your life.
Echoing Mary Oliver, how do you plan to live your one precious life? Are you passionate and content about the life you’re currently living?

Your brain is built to change. Book your stay with us and rewrite your storey. Visit The Open Gate Farm - a quiet retreat from a noisy world.

- Once here, we invite you to put down your phone and:
- Pick up a book
- Engage - look a loved one in the eye
- Be fully present in the moment
- Wander outdoors and notice the beauty around you
- Write a letter to a loved one
- Create something
- Pretend you’re a child and play
- Book an Open Gate Farm experience and learn something new
- Explore a place around Hillsboro
- Make a list of things you’re grateful for
- Doze on the porch swing
- Bake something yummy for afternoon tea
- Count the stars
- Sip a cup of comfort, close your eyes and breathe
- Put together an achievable plan to live more alive

Get away from the hustle and bustle to rewire your brain and reshape your life to the one you’ve always dreamed of living,