Gardens, animals, rolling pastures, woodlands and a gorgeous valley overlooking Dahinda, IL. Robert and Julie Haugland are the heart & soul of this little farm. Started by Robert in 1975 as an urban farm (way before the term existed) on Scott Street in Franklin Park, Illinois, Julie & Robert moved to Knox County in 2006, gutted the house, got married in 2007 and established Smiling Frog Farm on 22
acres on a ridge in Dahinda, Illinois. We raise a wide variety of veggies, fruit, herbs & and eggs with the occasional pig. Our family consists of 20 chickens, 4 ducks, 2 geese, a guinea hen, 1 turkey named Petunia, 6 goats, 2 alpacas, about a dozen barn cats, 3 porch cats, 1 house cat, and 1 black lab named Raven! From 2008 to 2011, we managed and grew produce for the Local Growers' Network, an award-winning project that offered local produce to area customers at the beginning of the local food trend. Now we produce for ourselves and our friends only. Julie created, owned & operated Vintages Tasting Room, a boutique wine bar & shop in Galesburg from 2006 to 2017. During those years, she discovered meditation and took many classes on spiritual development and "awakening." She finds solace & sanctuary in Smiling Frog Farm and has dreamt for a long time of sharing this magical land with others. To that end, we have been working on the Retreat & Meditation Center at Smiling Frog Farm for a few years. The vision is one that includes walkable trails & paths where visitors can discover numerous meditation stations. Gardens, a small orchard, secluded campground with a 16 foot Bell tent, a she-shed classroom offering a wide variety of classes, events, retreats, an outdoor chapel, outdoor space for yoga, Qigong, drum circles, an outdoor bar area (Robert's domain) and more are in the making. For more information on current events or reserving space for a private event, please contact us or visit the Retreat & Meditation Center at Smiling Frog Farm on FB .
