“Foxglove Farm is a 140-acre venue space that we over the last few years have restored the land and restored the barn and brought the most life back into with the hope of showcasing the originality of the barn. That’s 130 years old. So, to kind of bring it back to all of its glory with some modern fun updates. So, it’s an ongoing process space of ways that we can allow this space to shine allowed the land to be revived,” said venue manager, Kelsey Barnes.
A barn that holds so much history and property that the Barnes family saw so much potential in has now turned into a beautiful venue space in Northern Michigan.
“Really, it’s whatever people want it to be. So, if they have an idea of a dinner party in an orchard or an engagement party overlooking Lake Michigan, wedding related, birthday related. We have an anniversary party getting scheduled. We have a nonprofit volunteer celebration dinner, whatever it might be, that allows people, the community to enjoy what the farm is,” said Kelsey.
It’s a space that has been fully embraced and appreciated by the community.
“We are excited because the people that have reached out to us so far, a lot of them have been local and we were excited to hear that the locals were so thrilled with the property and the privacy and just that whole feel you get coming up the driveway and it’s Leelanau County is a magical place and you kind of see a little bits and pieces of it all here,” said co-owner and director, Patty Barnes.
Magical indeed. Today the farm has been beautifully restored, but the Barnes had to start from the ground up and it took a lot of vision and hard work to get it where it is today.
“You know, we wanted to restore this masterpiece barn that was the goal from the very beginning. We continue to use this as a barn. It’s not just an event space, but at the same time we wanted to beautify it so restore it, bring it up to code, make sure it was safe for everybody that wanted to come in and enjoy the property and then just do it within the original standard. So, everything that we did was of highest quality timber frame, mortise and tenon work with all of our stairs and balconies and things like that that we’ve built. So, it was really trying to add to the beauty, if we could, to what was already here,” said co-owner and director, Glenn Barnes.
For those who book or visit the venue, it’s not just the charming barn that captures the eye, but also the scenery on the farm that encompasses the natural beauty of Northern Michigan.
“To me, the space speaks to the collaboration and creativity also of what Leelanau is. Are so many small business owners and makers and artists that to be able to have them a part of this space, all of the hands and of contractors and people that helped me design it and I’m I feel like the property speaks to that goal, that sense of collaboration and community and the need for it and how much better something is because of it,” Kelsey said,
The Barnes family has many different areas of expertise that has brought this all together. Kelsey has been in the wedding industry as a cake baker for six years and her dad, Glenn, always wanted to become a farmer after growing up watching his grandfather farm.
“It’s been exponentially hard, but also beyond rewarding. I mean, to have to be able to share the space and work together as a family has brought us closer in ways I don’t think we were expecting. But also, like that’s so special to,” Kelsey said.