Loft Renovation

We have to turn away some church groups because of a lack of overnight facilities, particularly for couples retreats. We currently can accommodate five couples at a time if we use both the Farm House and the Loft. The Loft is a beautiful second-story guest room with a bathroom and sitting area. It is located above the shop building and only utilizing part of the second story. We would like to take the remaining 770 square feet and make two additional guest rooms, another bathroom, a kitchenette and a sitting room. This would require an additional exit out to a deck and stairway. Not only would this help us accommodate more couples, it would also allow us to have two separate facilities for families or couples at the same time, who are at Buffalo Ridge for personal retreats. We are awaiting funding for this project.

Prayer Garden

Near the Fireside Room is a charming pond that was here when we purchased the property. It is not very big and has become overgrown over the years. We have the vision of building a prayer garden overlooking the peaceful, secluded pond. This winter David Green has started the process by clearing a trail around the pond and an area for the garden. Sam Renfro is building some seating for the area. This spring David will landscape the garden, putting in some flower beds and other plants.

Small Orchard

One of our donors has generously offered to provide the finances to purchase fruit trees to establish a small orchard on the property.

Wireless Internet

One of the challenges of living in a rural area is getting a high speed internet connection. The internet is becoming more and more crucial for operating effectively. We have satellite internet for the office, but would like to get a wireless connection on the rest of the property. This project basically entails purchasing the necessary equipment to spread the satellite connection to the rest of the buildings.

Recreation Areas

We would like to eventually provide our guests some additional recreational options. Some of these might include a play area for children with a jungle gym/swing, a basketball goal with shuffle board, and a small miniature golf course.

Lodge

We would like to eventually build a large lodge here at Buffalo Ridge.  The access road and all utilities and septic system are in place. Lodge plans include twelve bedrooms with private baths, dining room, kitchen, library, administrative office, and meeting rooms with large stone fireplaces. This project is, for us, a major financial undertaking and will not be possible without significant help as the Lord leads and provides.  Our goal is to provide accommodations for up to 50 people at a time for small groups or multiple families. We are interested in hosting small conferences and networking opportunities for those involved in similar ministries but serving in different cities.

Established Trails

There is great potential on the property for having several established trails for our guests to hike. These would be through the five meadows and three ravines that make up Buffalo Ridge. This will require a lot of clearing, but also chemicals to keep poison ivy under control, some type of mulch to mark the trails, and building some small bridges over a deep creek that runs through the property.

Small Lake

We would like to build a small lake on the property to attract more wildlife, provide fishing for our guests, and contribute to the natural setting. We already have an ideal site picked out for the lake.

Road Maintenance & Repair

Buffalo Ridge has approximately one mile of roads, as well as several gravel parking areas and RV parking spots. These have been rocked once, but after 15 years of regular use and extreme weather conditions our roads are in need of much repair and maintenance. There also needs to be some proper drainage installed in several areas, grading, and re-graveling.

Property Enhancement

Sam Renfro has been using his carpentry skills to build various things to enhance the property. He is building some beautiful benches and outdoor swings for our guests to enjoy the beautiful views. He has also built signs for around the property to mark parking areas and identify buildings, etc.