DEANSBORO — Blueberry Brook Farm Resort recently held a ribbon-cutting event for what it has dubbed its Farm Country Club. It’s a grouping of amenities available at the 250-acre complex that includes mountain bike and hiking trails, a bed and breakfast, and an event venue at 6827 Van Hyning Road in Deansboro.

“I’m creating the fun zone here,” Blueberry Brook Owner Dan Williams says. The self-proclaimed Willy Wonka of Deansboro says he’s leaning into that role and hopes he’s creating a place that people not only want to visit, but one where they can reconnect with themselves — especially their inner child — while they are there.

“I’m inviting people to rethink themselves,” he says.

The property boasts a five-bedroom farmhouse that serves as the main bed and breakfast, a remodeled schoolhouse that accommodates up to four guests, and a treehouse cabin. Amenities include a game room equipped with pool and ping-pong tables, board games, and a bar. There’s also a koi pond, full CrossFit gym and yoga studio in the Blueberry Barn, which is where the Farm Country Club starts to come into play.

“The Farm Country Club, we’re in phase two right now,” Williams says. “We’re building out treatment areas.” The hope is to add services such as massage and acupuncture to the facility, which offers memberships.

That’s not all Williams has planned for Blueberry Brook, which he purchased in 2022 from a couple who had already transformed the house into a bed and breakfast.

Williams, who also owns Willams Fence of CNY, Inc., already owned acres of land and was busy during the pandemic building out hiking and biking trails.

“I built that last mile of trail, and it led me to Blueberry Brook,” he recalls. That 32-acre property fit like a puzzle piece into his existing land, Williams says, but also sparked the idea of an agritourism business.

Many of the pieces were already in place — the bed and breakfast, an acre of blueberries, and a wildflower garden. Combined with the trails, Blueberry Brook is on its way to becoming a four-season event space and destination.

“That’s the vision I see,” he says. 

Now that the gym and yoga studio are up and running, he’s turning his attentions toward the next project — developing a golf course on the property.

“I went to Ireland and was inspired by the golf courses there,” says Williams. That trip helped develop the vision he has for his course, which combines agricultural elements with the beloved sport.

“I’m planning and mapping it out for each hole to be a sheep pasture,” he says. “All the obstacles will be edible.” He envisions a course lined with fruit trees and bushes, where players can play the course and bring a picking basket.

An on-site dog park is also in the works.

Events also remain an important part of the resort. From weddings to corporate events, Williams’ goal is to provide a welcoming space that can host gatherings as small as executive retreats for six to weddings with 150 guests.

Blueberry Brook Farm Resort has a core group of five employees, with additional staff for events and instructors at the gym and yoga studio.