A special place to discover, explore, and connect.
HISTORY
The Acreage holds a fascinating natural, cultural, and social history. It was a sacred place for the Dakota and Ojibwe, a place for artists and writers to gather, a generational home for Osceola families, and the location of the Aveda Spa and estate of its founder, Horst Rechelbacher.
MISSION
We use our resources to empower communities through creativity, education, and environmental stewardship to foster a sustainable and vibrant future.
The Acreage is a space for convening, creativity, and rejuvenation. We collaborate with our partners to create nature-centric experiences, promote responsible earth stewardship, host visiting artists, and offer arts focused programs to enrich the wellness of the St Croix Valley and surrounding region.
OUR TEAM
The Acreage is stewarded by a small team committed to nurturing the land and growing our impact through experiences that reconnects us to nature, encourages creative expression, and encourages sustainable environmental practices.
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Program Coordinator-Buildings and Security
Ben pursued general studies at Ely Community College before establishing his career in the trades. He applies his expertise from construction management to keep The Acreage facilities and equipment humming.
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Program Coordinator-Land Management
Cheryl Elliott is Program Coordinator of Land Stewardship at The Acreage. After graduating with a B.S. in Horticulture from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, she began an independent career managing floral beds, gardens, and greenhouses in Western Wisconsin. Cheryl leads horticulture educational programming at The Acreage.
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Program Assistant
Zaka grew up in the African plains of Tanzania where he grew an affinity for nature and conservation. He applies his B.A. in Environmental Studies from the University of Minnesota supporting conservation work, prairie restoration, and animal husbandry.
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Program Coordinator-Arts and Animals
Jodi’s love of art, nature, and animals shines through her work developing and managing programs and curating spaces at The Acreage, though her contributions to the overall operations can be appreciated across all areas. She holds a B.F.A. from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design.
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Director
Greg is the Director at The Acreage at Osceola where he oversees all organizational operations. Prior to his role at The Acreage, years Greg was a public educator for over 20 years as a classroom teacher, curriculum coordinator, principal, and charter school founder. He holds a B. A. in American Indian Studies from Hamline University and M.Ed in Educational Leadership and Administration from the University of Minnesota.
An Ecological EXPERIENCE on the Banks of the St. Croix River
THE LAND
The Acreage at Osceola rests on 360 acres on the eastern bank of the St. Croix River featuring fourteen distinct ecological communities hosting rare plant and animal populations including floodplains, floodplain terrace, bluff tops, and plant communities ranging from prairie to oak and maple woodland.
To protect this pristine St Croix River environment, The Acreage is committed to pesticide-free land management practices to restore wildlife and pollinator habitats, native prairie, and woodland edges to promote biodiversity and a healthy ecosystem.
Who We
WORK WITH
The Acreage works with mission aligned non-profit 501(c)(3) organizations that share our commitment to protecting our natural resources and improving well-being through art and nature-based experiences.
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The Acreage began developing programming with The Wild Rivers Conservancy in 2016. In 2021 they took residency at Boulderwall at The Acreage. While operating as separate organizations, we collaborate to develop programs focused on land stewardship, river ecology, and watershed protection.
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With our focus on pollinator habitat restoration and development, The Acreage sought a strong partner to help guide our work. Since 2019 the Pollinator Friendly Alliance has helped us conduct pollinator counts and consult on conservation practices to protect and improve pollinator habitat.
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The Standard Edition Women is about celebrating and healing with community. They envision a culture where safe spaces are created for people to celebrate life and process trauma to begin their healing process.
They work with people impacted by gun violence, self harm, substance use disorder, incarceration, and the community healers that support them.
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From its genesis in 1978, Northwest Passage programming has focused on blending traditional mental health treatment with arts and nature-based therapy. The Acreage welcomes students and staff from The Northwest Passage for arts and nature based curriculum integration, and to present their artwork in the Horst Gallery.
JOIN US AT
THE ACREAGE
The Acreage is open for programs and events throughout the year. Check out our events page to learn more about upcoming opportunities to explore, discover, and connect at The Acreage.
