About Us

The beginning of Clearwater Farm came at the end of an era. In the 1990’s, a small dairy farm in Greens Coulee, like many small family farms in Wisconsin, was sold to a developer. The plan was to demolish the iconic red barn and silos to make way for the beautiful homes you see in Greens Coulee today. A group of community members had a different vision. What if they could save the barn and preserve a piece of the local farming heritage? They approached the developer who agreed to set aside 3 of the 120 acres that had been known for generations as the Humfeld Farm in Greens Coulee. 

Clearwater Farm was officially established as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 1999. Its mission – to demonstrate, teach, and advocate the sustainable use of natural, architectural, historical, and agricultural resources – was at the heart of everything that the volunteers worked on. First, they set up a community garden where community members could rent a garden plot for a small fee. These fees provided the funding needed to convert the original cornfield into pasture. Fences were built, and the farm acquired its first sheep and donkeys. These animals lived in the Education Building, which had a dirt floor and no windows back then. The community was invited to become members of the farm and help support the mission. These membership dues made it possible to convert the dairy barn from cow stanchions to small animal pens and open spaces for learning.

Clearwater Farm was officially ready to welcome schools and families. The animals moved to the barn, the Education Building was renovated into a meeting space, and the community garden became an education garden. Grants helped to fund the development of a youth gardening program that was focused on providing summer camp experiences for marginalized groups, including at-risk youth and individuals with disabilities. This program ran successfully for three summers and helped pave the way for the summer camp program that Clearwater Farm offers today. Many people across the Coulee Region have fond memories of feeding the animals and digging in the dirt at Farm Camp.

Clearwater Farm may only be 3 acres, but the impact it has had on the community over the years is far reaching. Each year, volunteers generously donate over 4,000 hours of their time to keep the farm looking beautiful. Local youth continue to make memories through camps and field trips, and families continue to visit the animals and enjoy time outdoors together. We partner with a variety of local organizations that serve individuals with disabilities and provide them with hands-on service learning opportunities. Many senior citizens have benefitted from SPARK!, a cultural program for people living with memory loss. The garden has produced hundreds of pounds of food for local food pantries, and many rescued animals have found their forever home here. We are also proud to offer public events like Open Barn Days, Spooktacular, and Taste of Summer, which continue to draw new people to Greens Coulee to experience a taste of farm life right here in the heart of Onalaska.

Our Team