STOCKHOLM, WIS. - A white rail fence outlines the Bogus Creek Farm and its sun-drenched pastures like a frame surrounding a landscape painting.

From border to border, the 425-acre farm encompasses a span of velvety green and crests on tree-covered ridges. A stately farmhouse sits at the center of lawns and fields that spread out like a patchwork skirt.

Farm is an understatement. The place is more of a compound. And what they grow here is fun.

There are three barns near the farmhouse. One is for the peacocks, chickens and horses. Another is for mini-bikes, ATVs and tractors. And the third has a basketball court, stage, hot tub, swimming pool and a bunkhouse that sleeps 40. Then there's the climbing wall in a silo, the paintball complex (complete with its own jail), a ski hill, a BMX track and a private airfield.

And what farmstead would be complete without a chapel? (This one has a Murphy bed that folds down over the pews for overflow sleeping.)

Welcome to the Walsers' world.

The farm got its name from a spring that bubbles out of a hillside and feeds Bogus Creek, which widens and carves its way through a valley that's as scenic as any you'd find on the label of a bottle of Vermont maple syrup.

Paul and Becky Walser of Edina, who bought the property about 10 years ago, started with just 70 acres and the old farmhouse, which they renovated. Next, they hired a local stonemason to build a cottage near the spring, which has water so pure the family bottles it and hands it out to guests.

Tucked between two ponds, the cottage can be reached only by crossing a wooden bridge and walking through an artfully untended garden. It has a screened-in porch and just enough room for a bed, reading chair and a wash basin.

The cottage is Paul's favorite place. It's the kind of place where you'd want to spend the rest of the day. The rest of your life, really. And the ponds around it are where the Walsers' young children first fell in love with frogs, toads and all things wild.

At Bogus Creek Farm, the Walsers wanted to create a compound where their family and friends could gather to celebrate nature, the country life and one another. Becky loved it because there was room for her horses, and Paul was smitten because it's near water -- Lake Pepin is just 15 minutes away.

"Everyone tells you that those years of raising kids are short and go fast, and we wanted to make sure that we give them the best range of things as they mature," Paul said.

But as the five Walser kids aged, their interests shifted and the sounds of crickets and spring peepers gave way to the sounds of kick-starts and engine roars as they expanded the property to include a BMX track and a paintball complex.

Outgrowing the farm

These days, Bogus Creek Farm is pretty quiet. Except for the caretakers, who live in a 2,800-square-foot house on the property, the farm is empty for much of the year as the kids devote more of their time to school and sports.

"For how much we have invested and for what it costs to maintain, if we can't use it, it's not practical," Paul said.

So Becky and Paul have decided it's time for a new adventure. The property is on the market for just under $4 million.

They'll keep the memories of family Thanksgivings gathered around the farm table, fall hunting trips and the chance to discover where an eggplant comes from.

Still, the leaving won't be easy.

"I'll be bawling," Becky said. "It'll be really hard for me to sign the papers."

"Those were Ozzie and Harriet days," said Paul. "It was healthy living, and I loved that the kids were experiencing it. I hope that someone buys it and enjoys it in the same manner we did."

What about the kids?

"They're not very excited that we're doing this," Paul admitted. "The younger two don't understand what it means, and the oldest doesn't want to talk about it."

But Paul already has his sights set on new horizons.

"Life is full of really interesting journeys, and this was a wonderful one," Paul said. "I want to keep moving forward and trying new things."

Jim Buchta • 612-673-7376