Thanks for visiting! I remember you distinctly, as you showed me pictures and videos of your a Grandparents farm. I am so glad you enjoyed your visit! Kathy ( but you were close... Jean is my very dear friend... lol! ) We hope you will visit again when you are in the area!

Thanks so much for stopping. Glad you enjoyed your visit! Kathy & Chuck

Thanks so much for visiting us, and our part of the State! Glad you had an enjoyable time! Kathy & Chuck

Thank you for visiting and your kind words about our grounds. I am not exactly sure what you mean about not having many Amish made goods. We always have at least one beautiful King or Queen Quilt on display, a Table and chairs, two bent hickory rocking chairs, a bent hickory coffee table and end table, a beautiful armour, another storage cabinet, several other end tables, coffee tables, shelving units, sofa table, jewelry chest, full length mirror, many, many rugs ( yes priced more than you find at the Amish...because we have expenses that the Amish do not, and most profits from Amish made products go back to the Amish to pay for medical bills), hot pads, table runners, woven runners, several different kinds of woven baskets, wooden bowls, wooden collapsible baskets,cookie cutters,cutting boards, towels, place mats, cloth center pieces, wooden spoons, jams, jellies,maple syrup, honey products, home made noodles, home made candies, popcorn products, wooden toys, children's furniture ( toy chest, high chair, youth chair, table and chairs, small bench), hand made greeting cards and more. It is very, very obvious that you have no clue what products are and are not made by the Amish ...and to say that we have very few items made by the Amish is such a dis credit to my business. When you say you had to insist on a bag for your products...we are only trying to limit the consumption of bags if it is not necessary, or if the purchase is extremely small or one or two small items.Bags are an expense, and We feel that we are being as earth friendly and conscious of that as possible, while still providing the service of bags for significant purchases. As for credit card charges...I do not think we have ever made anyone feel guilty for using their credit card...but Yes, this is an extremely big expense for a small business like us. While we do ask for a small $1.00 convenience fee, it normally costs us much more than that for the fees we pay. It is much cheaper than going into town to the ATM. When you go direct to the Amish you do not have the convenience of using a credit card,nor do you have the convenience of using a flush toilet, having electricity to see the products, have a bit of music playing in the background, having the opportunity to sit in an air conditioned ice cream shop on a hot day, or other ammenities that cost money. As for the map of Amish country... and me telling you where you could go to see the Amish. First of all, our gift shops were built by the Amish, and I work with about 45 Amish families who don't care to have the public come to their farms.Please understand that out of loyalty to the families I work for, I am not here to tell you exactly where to go to buy other products, however we do have the map that we spent a lot of money to have printed, that we sell for $5.00 or give to people who spend a significant amount of money at our gift shops. That map is not sponsored by a Chamber of Commerce or the Amish or anyone else. My husband and I had that map printed so that we would have it available to folks who want some extra guidance as they visit the Amish community. Keep in mind that I have folks from all over the world that visit us, and if I have someone from a foreign country that wants to see a bit of Amish country, and they need a map ( GPS will not work in many of the valleys of the Driftless Area), we are able to provide that map for a small fee. Unfortunately, I am not the chamber of commerce or a paid visitor center, so the cost of those maps come directly out of my small earnings. While we gladly offer it for sale, or as I said give it with a significant purchase, I cannot possibly provide it to every person that comes in and asks for a detailed map of where they can go to see the Amish. My typical answer, if someone does not want to purchase the map is that " The Amish community is mostly to the south and east of us ( as I point in that direction) and you will need to get off on the back roads, such as Cty Rd. D, Oneida, Hoff Valley, etc. What more do you want from me? Now, while I feel I am a very, very friendly and professional person who has been in business for many years,and deals with thousands of tourists every year that I invite to my small farm, am an author and a public speaker, I do have to state my real feelings, as my feelings have been hurt just one too many times. While I know this is probably not "politically correct", I, as a 25 year business owner have decided that I really am all done with always thinking the old mentality that "the customer is always right" and I have decided to stand up for myself by saying it like it is; I am not sure why people such as yourself feel the need to write a review at all, let alone bash a small business, but I hope it makes you feel better, as it has made me feel just a bit better by putting you in your place. Kathy

Thank you for visiting...and yes, we are just one little stop in a beautiful part of Wisconsin! Over the years we have diversified our product line,( and changed our marketing strategy/name to become the Village Shops at Down A Country Road...in the heart of Amish Country, which is exactly what the sign at the end of our driveway says) and as more and more Amish families opened shops of their own, there is really not a need for us to over indulge in Amish made products at our shops.We continue to carry Amish products ( now after 25 years of serving the Amish), so that those who want a taste of Amish country without going to the Amish directly can find those products easily, with the convenience of being able to shop in one location, and use a credit card if need be. If you had taken the time to really learn our story, you would understand that the prices are as they are to donate profits to Amish families in the area for their medical bills. We are a very small business, and have expenses that the Amish do not incur... electricity, providing rest room facilities, marketing dollars ( to let people know about our business...but also the large Amish population that benefits from my marketing dollars),credit card fees, food licensing, website and a multitude of other expenses. We do however provide products from about 45 Amish families who do not wish to have contact with the "English", and as thus they very much appreciate the products we sell for them. We continue to do this, at a loss for us, but in order to help many families. Things are not always as they seem, and unless you know the details behind a business, I feel it is very unfair to bash a small business that tries so hard, day in and day out. My husband and I work 12-14 hours a day to keep up with the inventory, cleaning, correspondence, bookkeeping,grounds maintenance, marketing, and so much more. and in the end make very, very little money for ourselves. We make it very clear on our website that we are not all Amish products. If you did any research at all about coming to my business, you would have known that. Do you write reviews like this for every gift shop that you go to that does not have the exact product line you thought they might have before you walked in the door? I am so frustrated with the reviews that are similar to yours that I just want to curl up in a ball and cry, because I try so hard...but then I stop and remember that I am serving 45 Amish families and helping make their lives easier by the products I sell for them, and who cares what someone says about what they did or did not expect when they came to my small business. Sorry, sometimes I just have to say it like it is. You really should stop and think about who you are hurting when you write reviews like this... Kathy