Quiet Waters Ranch

 OUR MISSION

The purpose and mission of Quiet Waters Ranch is to bring families together in the beauty of God's great outdoors. Our goal is to refresh people and relationships with fresh air. No judgments, no frills, just good old country dirt.

Whether it's animal therapy, learning about horsemanship and animal husbandry, how to grow an organic garden, building a fence, or how to love and care for our rescued animals, Quiet Waters Ranch will help your family come together while getting a little of God's earth in stuck in your boot treads.

BENEFITS OF ANIMAL THERAPY

Numerous studies by health professionals, holistic specialists, and psychotherapists prove that animal therapy can help with: Confidence, stress reduction, mental well being, social skills and interaction, responsibility,  security, and creating a sense of purpose. These benefits are not limited and apply to all of God’s people. One of my personal favorite stories involves a young girl who never was able to speak a word, until one day she uttered her very first phrase to who?! well, her therapy horse, of course!

WHY DONATE TO US?! 

I encourage everyone to choose the nonprofits that call to their hearts. We support 100% of our animal program ourselves and need extra finances to get to the next level. Improvements on facilities and programs will also help us become financially sustainable. 

ABOUT US

Ben and I have always had a love for animals, especially horses. We met in college, then moved to Florida for 5 years. When we returned to MN (In JANUARY, gross) we had two children, a boy and a girl. We ended up buying a "Fixer Upper", renovated it, sold all of our stuff and the house and bought our "Lottery dream." Another fixer upper,  but this one was a 1920's, 22 acre Ranch in the beautiful Sogn Valley.  

We bought the ranch knowing we wanted a ministry here. Probably something with horses, I liked the idea of equine therapy because I have a background in Psychology.  It has been, and continues to be, a great amount of work to restore the ranch to it's former glory (many of the outbuildings stood un-touched for many years). We knew God had a plan for this place, so we keep muscling through it.

Our passion for giving has always been deep in our hearts, after some sad times in our family, we ended up saving our first two horses. Then two more. Rehabilitating them from their past situations helped us heal.  That's when the ministry idea stuck. We surveyed the community and in 2018 started the Giving Garden. There was a need for fresh organic produce for those who could not afford it, and we did our bit to help fill that need. We also welcomed our third blessing, another son, this October. Next year, we are doubling the Giving Garden and hope to start hosting clients for Ag Education, Fellowship and Animal therapy. 

2019 Vision Plan

 The Growth of our God-sized dream: 2017-18 was the beginning. After assessing community need, we set goals and achieved BIG things. God provided a bountiful harvest and we were able to provide food to many. Now, our healthy food program is well underway, and we are ready to start hosting people at the ranch for animal therapy, fellowship, and education. I have already been working with potential clients and families. We need an arena to create a safe haven for clients to ride. Many of our clients have intellectual disabilities, PTSD, anxiety, ADHD, autism, speech delay; a safe, clean, consistent environment is pivotal to their success.

Animal Therapy is an alternative to conventional methods, it's God Given, Organic, and proven to work. I know it works because I have been blessed enough to experience it in my life and I can't wait to share our dream with you. Please consider donating to our ministry, challenge a friend, get an employer match, sponsor a horse. Is someone on your Christmas list hard to buy for?! Donate cash or Quiet Waters Ranch Amazon Wish List items on their behalf! And if you can't donate, spread the word and share the joy in living out your dreams. We are so glad we did. God Bless you!

We cannot wait to see what else God has in store for this place, thank you for coming along for the ride!

Blessings!

Amanda

2019 Fundraising Efforts

We are prioritizing the arena so we can get clients out ASAP and help people. In addition, improvements on the horse and animal facilities, including continued renovations on our 1920's converted dairy barn, carriage house, and pole shed. In the future, we would love to obtain the additional 100 acres in the valley to expand facilities. (It is for sale :) ) The property is along the little Cannon and would be a neat oppurtunity to add more trails, scavenger hunts, trout fishing, etc. Not to mention more pasture or crop income potential for the ranch. https://www.coldwellbankerhomes.com/mn/cannon-falls/xxx1-57th-avenue/pid_21648430/

The Giving Garden will be doubled and we added a fruit parcel this year. We hope to sell more to the local aggregate again this year to help fund ranch programs.