Bedlam Farm is an idea, a state of mind, as much as it is a place. There are three buildings there, the white farmhouse, built in 1840, the old barn, built sometime in the 1800’s, and Maria’s Schoolhouse Studio, a former one-room schoolhouse moved to the farm sometime around the 1950’s and used as a workshop. We have 17 acres, smaller than the original Bedlam Farm, which was 90 acres originally (and the price is being lowered today to $249,000, down quite a bit from the $475,000 asking price four years ago. The parcel leading to the woods is being sold off separately.)

The Bedlam Farm idea was always centered around creativity. I met Maria when I was looking for an artist to occupy one of the barns, I wanted it to be a creative place, a place for art shows, internships, retreats. I didn’t get to see that dream happen, but Maria and I are getting to live another dream.

Bedlam Farm is all about creativity. I wrote my books, blog and take my photos here, Maria makes her potholders, hanging pieces, quilts and handkerchiefs here. We have two Open Houses a year, lots of people flock here to see art and buy it and talk to one another and see Red herd sheep.

We are a place of encouragement. We share what we know, teach what we learn. We support the creative spark, the God-given gift of creativity that lives inside of every human being. We celebrate the ancient partnership of people and animals, there is nothing in nature more natural than human beings and animals living and working together, that is a part of our life.

We believe here that human beings are entitled to love what they do, that everyone’s stories are important and need to be told in whatever form is comfortable for them. We believe it is a form enslavement for people to be trapped in work they hate in places they don’t wish to live. Money and security are important in our world, but they are not the only things that are important.

We reject the media and political people who divide people and arouse them to anger. We believe the farm is the embodiment of St. Francis of Assisi’s idea of a Shelter Of Compassion and Mercy. And Creativity. We seek a world where people and animals are treated with dignity and given support.

And it is a place of ideas, and photographs, and words and art, always. We accept our mission to bring color and light into the world and to help people make sense of both.