Planting Trees
New Christmas Trees!
Each July we put in our order for bare root Christmas trees that arrive the following year in April - there is so much planning and preparation that goes into farming and this is just a small example.
This year we planted 1,000 trees including Frasier Firs, Concolor Firs, and White Spruce. This is our third time planting Christmas Trees at the farm - our first year at the farm, 2024, we put in 200 trees in the fall and in 2025 we put in 1,600 trees in the spring. Last year was so hot and dry that we lost a lot of the baby trees we planted and then this winter the deer pressure was immense and so many trees got absolutely ravaged. Derek and I are learning about Christmas tree growing and we are so lucky to have generous mentors but I never realized how hard it is to survive as a young tree. They need a lot of the same tenderness that any plant would need but we don’t have irrigation on them or fencing so there risk is high!
There is something so incredible about the tree planting process at the farm, so many friends come and help us and it is both a mad dash to get all the trees in and also just a fun time with good food, hard work, and fantastic company. One of the things I love about working alongside someone is that you get to connect while working. While the sound of the auger definitely made conversation challenging at times, my heart always feels full after being with so many friends while racing to get the trees in the ground.
The trees we plant have already been tended and cared for at a nursery farm for four and sometimes five years before they come to us and will then spend another 6-10 years growing to maturity here at the farm. It’s always wild to think about how old our kids will be when these trees are ready to be harvested. We don’t just wait for them to become mature trees though, this year we are trialing grazing our chickens through the trees to add some fertility and we have to continously mow to give the trees a fighting chance. Since we are certified organic we do not spray any weed killer around our trees and instead try and cultivate species like white and red clover, and native grasses that help with soil health. We do plenty of pulling out of poison ivy and vines and pricklers and when trees are in there 3rd or 4th year here we shear them in the fall and scout for pest and disease to make sure our trees are healthy.
After a loss like last year with the drought we are also learning more about each area of the farm, where trees are thriving and where other crops might do better. It’s humbling and makes us realize we need to be even more adaptive than ever.