OVERVIEW
Taleamor Park offers self-directed residencies with a minimum of two weeks up to one year.

If you are applying for a residency with a friend, spouse, or partner, each person must complete a separate application and indicate whether you will share a room or require separate rooms.

FACILITIES
Taleamor Park is located in the heart of a working farm that has been in our family since 1950. The allure of this beautiful place is its lovingly restored 1854 Italianate farmhouse and the scenic 350-acre farm with paths, ponds, woods, and cultivated fields of grain. 

We share our environment with deer and songbirds, wild geese and turkeys, groundhogs and racoons, mice and squirrels that sometimes invade the attic, fireflies and starry nights, coyotes and stink bugs, ticks and mosquito-eating bats, poison ivy and flowering plants, butterflies and hummingbirds.

For those attuned to sound, our mornings are filled with birdsong. Occasionally there is the thunder and crash of a sudden rainstorm, the half-mile distant rumble and horn-blow of a freight train, the hum of an augur as it fills or empties our grain bins. Once in a while, a car drives by, but our road is bounded by T-intersections at both ends so there is very little traffic.

Taleamor Park provides the opportunity to slow down and to escape crowded, noisy city streets. There are no stores, coffee shops, or other urban amenities within walking distance. However, if you are expecting a sterile, hermetically sealed resort spa isolated from the farmland that surrounds it, Taleamor Park may not be the place for you. 

The 1854 Italianate brick farmhouse has two stories with two bedrooms, a full bath, a kitchen, a common room on each floor. On the first floor, the bright, spacious, and air-conditioned library is stocked with an eclectic selection of books, DVDs, and audio CDs. The laundry with washer and dryer is also on the first floor.

At present, the farmhouse residence is not wheelchair accessible. Please let us know if you need accommodation on the first floor.

The entire first floor and the two upstairs bedrooms are air conditioned. We aim for a planet-friendly temperature of about 76° F (24° C), which is close to the natural thermal equilibrium produced by the 14-inch-thick masonry walls of the farmhouse.

Each bedroom has a writing desk and a reading chair. Bed and bath linens are supplied. The kitchen is fully stocked with dishes, pots and pans, eating and cooking utensils, and a few basic cooking supplies. 

In addition, there are naturally ventilated (not air-conditioned) studio options in adjacent barns and brick building. When you arrive, we will try to identify and configure a working space that will accommodate your needs. 

The residence is connected to the internet via DSL which can be erratic. There is one non-franchised coffee shop, a McDonalds, a Starbucks, or residents can provide their own hotspots.

MakerSpace
While at Taleamor Park, all residents have free-of-charge access to the LaPorte County Public Library and its MakerSpace, The Exchange.

Exchange staff provide training and certification for the use of their equipment which includes a laser cutter, a CNC machine, a 3D printer, a Cricut machine, a scanner, a color printer, industrial sewing machines & sergers, a heat press, soldering stations, a drill press, lathes, and associated hand tools. There are also dedicated audio and visual recording studios with state-of-the-art equipment.

For high-speed internet that is much faster and more reliable than what we can offer at Taleamor Park, private study rooms both in the Library and at The Exchange can be reserved in advance.

MEALS
All residents are responsible for the cost and preparation of their own meals. Local grocery stores offer delivery as well as curbside pick-up. During the growing season there are several farmer’s markets in the area.

HOUSEKEEPING
Residents are responsible for cleaning and maintaining the order of their rooms, their studio spaces, and the farmhouse during their stay.

Kitchen cleanup is expected after every meal. Bathroom cleanup is required after each use. Always leave the kitchen and bathroom clean for the next person.

The house is thoroughly cleaned before residents arrive. Residents are responsible for maintaining the cleanliness and orderliness of the residence and their studio during their stay and should set aside two hours each week for cleaning.

Bed and bath linens are supplied. Residents are responsible for changing and laundering these as needed during their stay.

SUPPLIES and EQUIPMENT
Residents must provide all of their own supplies and special equipment. We recommend that you bring or ship any tools and supplies you may need. If you wish to ship supplies prior to your arrival, please contact us for the shipping address.

The following basic studio equipment and supplies are available to all residents. Residents are responsible for replacing or repairing any equipment they break or lose due to misuse or negligence.

  • Work tables

  • Easels

  • Looms

  • Basic hand tools

  • DVD player and monitor in common room

  • Vintage iMac computer with MS Word

  • Slide projectors

  • Low-res video projector

  • Plain, hand-printed, and paper-backed fabric suitable for painting canvas as well as for sewing

  • Farm flotsam and jetsam for re-imagining

  • Scrap wood and fallen timber

  • Yoga and pilates mats

  • Roland HP-605 digital piano

LAUNDRY
Taleamor Park has a washing machine and dryer available for a nominal fee per use. Taleamor Park provides detergent. Drying racks are available for eco-friendly and free-of-charge drying.

WEATHER
Summer days sometimes can be uncomfortably hot and humid or cool and rainy, but quite often are warm and pleasant. Spring and autumn days are usually cool and beautiful, but sometimes chilly and damp. Winter snow and ice can start in late October, but climate change has made this a rare event. January and February and possibly March occasionally see sub-zero temperatures. Severe weather can cause power outages that require us to use our backup generator.

WHAT TO PACK

  • Surface disinfectant wipes, paper towels, and toilet paper

  • Shampoo and conditioner

  • House slippers (outside shoes are NOT allowed in the house)

  • A flashlight or headlamp

  • Headphones or ear buds to listen to music

  • Headphones or ear plugs if bothered by noise or sounds in the environment

  • Boots and/or closed-toe shoes for hiking, working with equipment, and garden/farm work

  • Easy-to-slip-in-and-out-of outdoor shoes (optional, but recommended)

  • Clothes appropriate for the seasons including work clothes

  • Sunscreen and non-toxic insect repellent

  • Hat: sunhat for summer, warm cap (and gloves!) for winter

  • Swimsuit (optional, in case you find your way to Lake Michigan for a swim; farm ponds are not swimmable)

Please do not use or bring anti-bacterial soaps as these are harmful to our septic system. Taleamor Park provides hand, bath, dish, and laundry soaps.

MAIL
If you wish to ship supplies prior to your arrival or to receive mail during your residency at Taleamor Park, please contact us for the street address.

RULES and REGULATIONS
Taleamor Park reserves the right to terminate any residency without refund as a result of a resident’s disregard for the guidelines outlined below.

  • Residents must practice appropriate social distancing in all their interactions with anyone at Taleamor Park other than their partner or co-resident friend.

  • Residents must maintain standards of courtesy and decorum.

  • Harassment of any kind will not be tolerated.

  • Overnight guests are not permitted.

  • Quiet hours are 10 PM-8 AM.

  • Because individual studios and bedrooms are not sound proofed, we ask that you moderate volume or use headphones for listening to any music, radio, or DVDs.

  • Residents must abide by all local, state, and federal laws.

  • The use or possession of illegal drugs and the abuse of alcohol is prohibited.

  • Firearms and other weapons are not permitted anywhere on the property at any time.

  • Residents are responsible for the return of any borrowed equipment or books.

  • Residents are responsible for replacing missing or broken items.

Due to health, allergy, and safety considerations, the following prohibitions must be observed in all buildings on the farmstead and anywhere on the farm property:

  • No smoking

  • No candles, incense, or open flames

  • No pets or animals

  • No food or drink in bedrooms

COVID-YEAR RETREATS
Taleamor Park accepts applications at any time of the year for flexibly scheduled retreats. The minimum retreat length is two weeks up to a maximum of one year. Preference will be given to applications received four weeks or more before the start of a retreat.

Taleamor hosts live in an adjacent farm building and will maintain social distancing at all times.

In case of snow, the resident(s) will be required to help maintain a clear path from the back door of the farmhouse to the plowed driveway. Winter weather conditions may either delay the start or prolong the length of a retreat.

RESIDENCY FEES
Residency fees help to cover costs of lodging, studio space, utilities, and maintenance. Residents are responsible for the cost and preparation of their own meals.

A $100 non-refundable deposit is due upon acceptance of your application proposal. The remaining balance is due no later than three weeks before the start of your residency.

CANCELLATION POLICIES
If you cancel more than three weeks before your start date, the residency fee (less the $100 non-refundable deposit) will be refunded. If you cancel your residency less than three weeks before your start date, 75% of your total residency fees will be refunded. 

If you leave before the end of your residency, there will be no refund of fees.

Taleamor Park reserves the right to terminate any residency without refund as a result of a resident’s disregard of our residency guidelines.