Our Land & The Driftless Region

The Driftless refers to a small area in the Midwest that was bypassed by the last Continental Glacial Drift. Since this area wasn’t filled in and reshaped by glaciers, it has a dramatic topography characterized by steep hills, forested ridges, and deeply carved river valleys.

Our ranch is in close proximity to important waterways that have helped shaped the area’s unique terrain, including the Kickapoo River, which flows into the Wisconsin River and the Mississippi. This land is the ancestral home of the Ho-Chunk and Potawatomi nations.

Today, this region is home to a beautiful mix of people, including farm families of Norwegian and European descent, members of the Ho-Chunk community, and many musicians, writers, artists, and makers. The rugged landscape in the Driftless has made large-scale factory farming impractical, a wonderful circumstance that has enabled small growers to thrive here. We’re lucky and proud to be able to source over 75% of our food locally from our friends and neighbors.

We all have people and places that have shaped our lives more than most. For me, those people were my grandparents, Robert & Ruth Coleman. And the place was The Golden Horse Ranch.

The Golden Horse was my family’s dude ranch in Westfield, Wisconsin. (Picture Dirty Dancing, but with more horses and much cleaner dancing.) My grandparents – who were both blind – built it in the 1940s and operated it for 50 years. Generations of families spent their vacations at the ranch, and it was a place that nurtured real community and lifelong friendships.

As a kid, my dream was to grow up and run the ranch. But it wasn’t in the cards: the Golden Horse closed in the ‘90s, and my grandparents passed away. So I went on with my life. I had a successful corporate career in New York, London, and Chicago. I opened my real estate company, LivingRoom Realty. I started a band. I produced art events and parties. I cultivated a wonderful community of creative friends. Still, there was a part of me that was always trying to get back to my grandparents’ ranch, back to the way the place and the people made me feel.

In 2009, I fell in love with the Driftless region and bought the property that is now Red Clover, not fully knowing what I wanted it to become. As the years passed, I began renovating the buildings and hosting gatherings. I invited my creative friends here to use the space to record albums, make art, write, and rest. I learned how to be a good steward of the land. Over time, the pieces fell into place. I realized that my role is to open the doors, invite people in, and allow them the time and space to explore nature, be creative, build relationships, and nourish their bodies and their souls.

I‘m so proud of this place, and I wish my grandparents could be here to experience it. I know they’d love it. I even named it after them, in a way. I decided to call my ranch Red Clover in honor of their shared initials: RC. I hope their spirit of generosity and hospitality will live on here at Red Clover for many years to come.

Annie Coleman

Owner/Head Wrangler

Annie is the founder of LivingRoom Realty, a real estate company that focuses on serving Chicago’s creative community. She is also a musician and a ceramic artist. For the past 16 years, she’s headed a 7-piece honky tonk ensemble, the Golden Horse Ranch Band–their headline show “The Barn Dance Apocolypse” brings 500 people together every February to celebrate and dance together.

Dani Lind

Head Chef/Kitchen Queen

Dani Lind was the owner of Rooted Spoon Culinary/Kitchen Table, a farm-to-table catering business and bar, restaurant, and event space in Viroqua,Wisconsin. She lives on an organic pastured beef farm and has extensive gardening, foraging, and food preservation experience. Dani crafts meals from healthy, nourishing whole foods so our guests will leave Red Clover feeling better than when they arrived.