WILLMAR — Stonewall Farms can feel quite removed from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, even though it is only a few miles away from Willmar. The 80-acre site has rolling hills, grassy fields, groves of trees and even shares a shoreline with Solomon Lake, giving the area an almost fairy tale quality to it. Owned by Bryce and Kim Holmgren for 30 years, the setting of the property just seems to make it the perfect place to hold a magical wedding.
"It is the nature of the property," said Bryce Holmgren. The Holmgrens have called Stonewall Farms home since 1994, but they aren't the first to live on the property. The original homesteaders were Fred and Hilda Ammerman, who farmed the property.
The second owner, Steve Ritema, sold the property to the Holmgrens and became a missionary. When the Holmgrens purchased the property, the only structure on the acreage was an old farmhouse that didn't meet the needs of the growing family. "We built the house to raise kids.
Which we did — we have 11 kids," Bryce said. "We built the barn to raise horses." The Holmgrens bred Friesian horses in what is now called the White Oak Barn.
They even had one of their first foals recognized internationally. After about five years, as the market slowed, the family decided to get out of the horse business, only keeping a few animals for the family's enjoyment. The decision was then made to go from horse breeding to event hosting.
The Holmgrens had hosted a few events here and there over the years.