Visiting Inspiration Acres is like stepping into a Hallmark Christmas movie. Sisters Krista Peterson and Kara Kasten-Olson created a Christmas experience inspired by their family dairy farm, honoring the legacy of their delayed parents while inspiring future generations to create their own holiday traditions.
“Both of our parents had passed away, and the inspiration for starting the tree farm was how to maintain the farm and legacy for the next generation,” Krista said.
Krista and Kara started their tree farming adventure in 2020. The sisters learned the value of demanding work and community while growing up on their family’s dairy farm near Richfield.
The sister duo manages 60 acres of crops on their backyard farm. The land on their farm isn’t ideal for growing Christmas trees, but they still wanted to create a Hallmark holiday atmosphere on the farm. They had to get imaginative to combine the land and heritage of their family farm.
They managed to purchase some land from a retired Christmas tree farmer and mentor at Redgranite. They proudly continue the 60-year tradition of growing trees on the land of the previous owners. The sisters are in the process of recultivating the area and planting more trees for future generations. They hope that one day the space will reflect the Hallmark Christmas movies they love, but for now they are learning about the soil and weather patterns that aid their trees thrive.
Sustainability is crucial to Inspiration Acres as they strive to be good stewards of the land and produce a crop of Christmas trees. They realize that the more sustainable the farm operations are, the better Christmas trees they will have to sell to their customers.
Working the land is a privilege and an opportunity, but more importantly, it is a responsibility that Kara and Krista take very seriously. They want to make sure they are doing the right thing to protect their neighbors and community.
The Christmas market is located in Slinger, close to the original family farm. Acres Inspirations is a pop-up market in Slinger During the holiday season, it is only open for three weekends. Visitors can find Wisconsin-grown Christmas trees and a variety of handmade holiday decorations, such as porch planters, wreaths and holiday decorations. The market features over 30 local vendors, transforming the space into a downtown plaza for your favorite Hallmark movie. The sisters also offer classes so that guests can create their own works of art.
“It’s about the art of the possible,” Krista said. “I think it’s a pretty cool thing. When you look around, all we have here are branches, but people gather around the tree and that’s where they make these memories with their families.”
Krista and Kara feel very fortunate to work together as sisters and business partners. Each of them has held roles in companies that play to their strengths. Krista prefers to be outdoors and work with trees, while Kara manages inventory and logistics at the market.
After the loss of their parents, the sisters decided to keep the farm in the family. The farm gave the family a reason to focus. Located just 20 miles north of Milwaukee, there is pressure to sell the land so it can be developed for housing.
The main goal of Inspiration Acres is to bring people together in the household. They want to pass on their legacy to the next generations and unite their community.
“There is something special about the idea of taking people to the place where we grew up and turning moments into memories during the holiday season,” Krista said.
The Inspiration Acres pop-up market can be visited on three weekends during the holiday season – November 22-24, November 28-December 1 and December 6-8. Find more opportunities to create your own Hallmark movie, Christmas magic with the Kasten sisters at InspirationAcresWI.com.
