Minnesota Bed & Breakfast Association

Dutch Lake Guest House - Howard Lake, Minnesota

Eat local.  Buy from the farmer.  Vacation on a farm.

The Dutch Lake Farm Guest House is an 80 acre, environmentally concious Bed and Breakfast, established in 2009 as a new construction Guest House, using environmentally friendly materials.  The environment is our focus; from the building's thorough insulation, to high R value windows,  utilizing passive solar heating with floor to ceiling windows, recycling, and even growing and harvesting our own vegetables and herbs.  And, in an effort to reduce our carbon footprint for every green aspect that we are lacking, we've planted a Christmas Tree Farm, of over 2500 trees to date.  Select your Christmas tree during your stay, we'll mark it with your name, and you can come back to cut it closer to the holiday! 

We feed the birds so bird lovers will enjoy seeing many species in four different habitats; prairie, lake, swamp, and wooded forest.  You can enjoy sitting on your own private dock, use the canoe to paddle the peaceful lake, and delight in all of the wildlife that a country farm has to offer such as deer, fox, and mink.  The Dutch Lake Guest House changes from season to season, offering canoeing, hiking and biking during the summer, and snow shoeing in the winter! 

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Preservation of historic properties is all about reducing , reusing and recycling  We feel very lucky to have literally saved our 1880 Queen Anne from deomolition in 1988. Think of the resources that were used in the building of this. In the process, we saved two by fours from walls that were not original, pulled nails and used them again. We also preferred fixtures that some might have thought had seen their better day and restored to use and admire again (like the copper soaking tub with wood rim or the double pedestal sink from an old barber shop). We recycled used marble and learned not just how to cut it on site but also how to polish it.       

We think constantly of the dedication and master workmanship that went into our two buildings and so many other historic B & Bs in this country. Our stewardship to the past is a part of our mission as good community members and also conservationists. Our "green journey" involves sharing with our guests the wonderful local resources we have (In the business category: Spiral Food co-op, Creative Confectionaire, Reissner's Meat Market, The Dairy Store, Mississippi Clayworks and the many good one of a kind bistros, cafes and restaruants. Natural category: three rivers and two lakes, an outstanding waterfall and a bike and walking trail hugging these waterways in additon to 63 buildings on the National register (a record for a town this size) and two county parks, a state park and a nature center that also practices sustainablity and even our local country club once private now public has won an award for sustainability. We believe wholeheartedly in the mssion of the organization promoting buying locally (www.the350project.net).         

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Growing up on dairy farms in West Central Minnesota, Aggie and I learned early on that we needed to preserve our environment for future generations.  Learning how to recycle waste was a necessity before it became popular.  We have tried to take those principles with us as we matured and now in our bed and breakfast business.  In addition to instigating energy-saving measures and alternative energy sources such as our wind turbine, we grow much of our own food for our breakfast clients and ourselves.  Not only is it fun, but also very healthy.

We have planted many trees on our Cedar Rose Wild farm property and restored 51 acres to natural priaire so that our guests can not only enjoy a pleasant hike but also learn of conservation techniques.  Recently we have added 2 acres of vineyards which we now harvest wine grapes for our local winery and for the breakfast table to do our part in providing food and drink local in order to save transportation costs and energy expenditures. Going green is exciting and challenging but we do it because we want future generations to enjoy healthy living in this world.  

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Stay at a lodging that cares about and strives to limit its impact on the planet.  We have employed many measures to make our inn a place that reflects our values of balance with all life on this earth.  While not perfect, we are always striving to do more. The 3 floor, 6000 square foot log home our family shares with you averages only about $200/ month in heating due to our off peak electric heat, tight construction and thorough insulation.  Of course we do all the obvious things too: recycling, low flow water, energy efficient appliances, florescent lighting and green household products.  We are a Green Routes destination.  Find out more about Green Routes at: http://www.greenroutes.org/

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Embracing Pines is our log sided home that was completely reconstructed in 2002 with new energy efficient windows, doors, insulation, and a geo-thermal ground water system for heating.  Our laundry practices encourage reuse to save water.  We are on the Paul Bunyan bike trail, and we have bikes for our guests to use, encouraging bike riding to enjoy the area and save the fuel.   While you are here you may also use our canoes to explore the river that borders our property.  You can get an upper body workout on the river and the lower body workout on the bike trail!  A full body experience!!!

We have been landscaping with trees each year and perennial gardens that are fertilized with compost from our recyclable waste.  Our breakfasts use produce and eggs from area farmers whenever possible. The birds are fed with flowers and seeds and make their nests in the 7+ perennial gardens on our 1 acre location.  We have birds from the ruby throated hummingbird to the bald eagle to entertain you as you enjoy your breakfast on the deck whenever the weather permits.

Stay GREEN, when you stay at Embracing Pines!

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With every business decision, we, the Scandinavian Inn owners, ask ourselves, "Is this decision taking us closer, or farther away, from our environmental objectives?"  You will find that our guest rooms do not feature overly-packaged products, strong fragrances, or high energy-consuming devices.  Instead we offer comfort without clutter, excellence without excess. 

Breakfast welcomes you with fresh fruits, beverages, baked goods, and entrées blending local, free-range, and organic foods all served at an elegantly-set table.  We plan our breakfast menus around available foods at our local farmer's market, and typically travel to and from the market by bicycle.

Linens and towels are dried by freash air and sunshine, as the weather permits.  Lawns and gardens are free of petrochemicals.  The vast majority of our room cleaning and laundry products are plant-based.  (We admit to using a bleach pen and rust remover now and then.)  From Day One, a human-powered reel mower cuts the grass, and a snow shovel clears the walk and drive.

We recognize the need to provide comfort to our guests -- our bedrooms have air conditioning. But we like to give open windows, fans, and natural ventilation a chance first.  In 2007 we took the plunge and installed a geothermal heating/cooling system for our building.  It remains a work in progress, and currently heats about half of our building and cools the entire inn.  We plan to extend the heating to the historic portion of the house, but retrofitting while maintaining the charm of the house will take some work.

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