About

About GreenRetreat

Who we are
GreenRetreat is a family-owned and operated agri-business launched in 2006. Our family members have lived all across the United States and now choose to live and work back in beautiful Southern Illinois where we are from. We have experience in many fields including teaching, information technology, psychology, alternative medicine, environmental studies, farming and business.

What our visions are
We are creating a "green" retreat destination that will offer various lodging and recreational choices in a rural setting. We have a total of 97 acres of forest, cropland, ponds, and horse paddocks. Our cabins and Bed & Breakfast will provide the first child-friendly and environmentally sound accommodations in this area. By combining the fields, gardens and greenhouses of our working farm with "green" technologies and environmental education opportunities we will reach out to many diverse groups.

What's here to see and do
Outdoor tourism in this area includes the Shawnee National Forest and other parks, the National Bicycle Route, hunting, fishing, and horseback riding. Other tourist destinations including the wine, barn and art trails, Southern Illinois University, many local festivals and the historical sites found throughout Southern Illinois. Please click to our LINKS PAGE for more information!

Our Projects

As of the summer of 2009, our 97 acres include many current and future projects. Almost 30 of our wooded acres have been surveyed for participation in government conservation programs. We have planted almost 500 native trees and removed overgrown and invasive scrub growth to create 5 small lakes and ponds. The largest two were stocked with native fish by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources in the Fall of 2007 and Spring of 2008.

Our geothermal-supported office, conference room and Wellness Center have been completed and are open for business. The "Tree House" has been the subject of much praise and even the highlight of one reporter's wonderful feature article. Our three small cabins are also a hit and this fall's landscaping will set the scene for some great get-togethers! The Garden Cottage is complete and has already hosted a few retreats, some out-of-state family members, and some wonderful new friends. Designed and decorated to resemble "grandma's house," the Garden Cottage is truly a "tip-of-the-hat" to our local history and local farm flavor. If you want the feel of an old family farm home, with all the "green" technological advances of today, this is the place for you!

Our greenhouses are going up and we have plans for our organic gardens. We had planned on beginning our CSA (community supported agriculture) program this season, but as we suffered a great deal of damage in the May 8, 2009 storm, we have put that on hold for just a little while. Please check back with us often if you are interested in local produce!

The 11-stall horse barn with meeting room is being finished and we have 3 new corrals and riding ring big enough for one dressage circle. Our pumpkin patches did very well last year and our 5 horses were happy for all the attention! The response from local schools and teachers was awesome! We are ecstatic to report we hosted 1200 local school kids in all! We are very excited about how many kids we can reach and what we can accomplish this season! Pumpkins go in in July so start driving by to watch them grow and give us a call to schedule groups for October!

Summer and Fall 2009 will be spent building our Bed & Breakfast. The Bed & Breakfast will be a large 5 bedroom (bath en suite) Victorian home with many rooms available for small parties and meetings. Just like the rest of our buildings, it will be highly insulated, and employ "green" technologies. Our goal is also to reduce consumption by employing low-E windows, energy-star appliances, low-flow faucets, etc.

Our hope is that staying in our buildings will be not only fun and comfortable, but educational as well!