Inspiring Conversations with Lauren Blanford of Lost Woods Farm + Forest

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Blanford.  

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I have had wanderlust for as long as I can remember. Any opportunity to travel that was available to me, I took from being an exchange student to teaching English abroad to graduate school abroad. I even took a job after college as a nanny that took me all over the world. Traveling on a shoestring budget and living out of a backpack to 5-star hotels and private jets during my nanny days gave me a multi-faceted view of the world. It also exposed me to the world of hospitality. Everything I have created in our Glamping business today has been influenced by my experiences traveling in such different ways. Creating Lost Woods Farm + Forest is a culmination of all of my positive experiences from tiny personal hostels in Chile to 5-star hotels in Italy. Believe it or not, some of my most memorable seats were ones that did not break the bank. 

My husband, Jason, and I went to graduate school in Australia and after two years, decided to make Chicago home. We loved our city lives, but 15 years and 2 children later, we knew we were ready for a new adventure. We wanted space for our children to grow and also place where we could create a business. Covid hit as we were moving, so our initial vision was more in line with an event venue, but Glamping was definitely on our goal list. It quickly moved to first on our list, and we opened in the summer of 2021. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
A smooth road sounds like a boring road. Also, is a road ever that smooth? There have been many surprises and challenges since making our Green Acres move to Northern Michigan. Right off the bat, the day before we closed on our farm, we learned a woman disappeared here 33 years ago. My jaw hit the floor. I felt like I was on a Dateline episode. Not only was Victoria Salisz missing, but they had just reopened the case and were planning on a cadaver dog search with the FBI a few months before we opened for business. There have been plenty of century-old farmhouse surprises as well that were expensive and complicated fixes. The other major challenge we are still facing is that Glamping is a new industry and it makes financing and planning more difficult. Plenty of moments so far that have had me questioning if this was the right move but it just requires you to dig deep and trust your gut, be patient and carry on. 

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Lost Woods Farm + Forest offers Glamping Tents, special events in our historic barn, hiking and snowshoe trails, farm + forest dinners, a market garden, and pasture-raised eggs. Guests have the opportunity to enjoy nature with modern luxuries including a memory foam mattress and solar-powered bathroom to make them feel perfectly comfortable and one with nature. Unwind by the fire with a s’more and look up to take in the star-filled sky at night. Do you have special event coming up? We can customize our barn and sites just for you. 

How can people work with you, collaborate with you, or support you?
We are always looking to expand our business and partnering with others from photographers to chefs that want to forage in the forest or utilize our market garden for ingredients. 

Pricing:

• Glamping Tents $225-$550
• Barn Rental $4,000 – $7,000

Contact Info:

• Website: www.Lostwoodsmi.com
• Instagram: LostWoodsFarm
• Facebook: The Lost Woods

Image Credits
Holden Photographs