Glamping 101, the pains, pitfalls, successes, and vision for future.
2020 was to be the year that our glamping venture went to the next level, I was taking the business plan to the Town, County, and State for approval to obtain my business license.
This all began in early January 2020, what I thought would be a straightforward process turned into a daunting and difficult journey - which would be compounded by COVID, the birth of our son, the conservation restoration in full buildout mode, and continuation of my formal education- now at UWGB as an undergraduate student.
I started to apply for permits and complete applications and pay fees at the Town, State, and County level. I presented the business concept, plan, and goal at the local municipality meetings, talked to the DNR about wetlands and delineations, hired professionals to help me navigate said delineations, pleaded with my NRCS friends to help me navigate these challenges ... all was ready to go and approved at this stage of the process..... Then, the reality set in, with the pandemic still at it's height, a new baby in our arms, and the entire property restoration in full tilt we decided to postpone our glamping business dreams.
I needed to pull back, maybe revisit in future years once Henry is grown, and reimagine what might be possible.
I was crushed at that time, but know in my heart it was meant to be this way and now we have the Conservation Plan in place- the farm as a conservation paradise is the way we want it. And, to boot we have a sweet little family camp to use for our own leisure. Life's pretty grand and we don't need to worry about changing other people's sheets!
COVID affected all things outdoorsy in a huge way - in hindsight, had we tried to push forward I know that the business would have been busier than we could have imagined. But it would have come with a price - not being set up legally and opening ourselves up to litigation OR pushing on and being exhausted by the work for the little money generated.
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