Christmas Tree Farm ???

[jer_james]

Has anyone here every tried their hand at a Christmas Tree farm ?

Saw an interesting opportunity on a piece of land with a house and all, but not sure on details ?

[Grayson]

Think I saw that place listed. I would think Christmas trees alone wouldn't be very profitable. Probably have to mix in pumpkin farm, corn maze, fishing pond, stuff like that to make it a year-round attraction.

[jer_james]

Think I saw that place listed. I would think Christmas trees alone wouldn't be very profitable. Probably have to mix in pumpkin farm, corn maze, fishing pond, stuff like that to make it a year-round attraction.

We actually went there last year and they told us they may be selling - Love the land, but too far of a commute for me to keep driving into the metroplex.

[Bullydog]

We actually went there last year and they told us they may be selling - Love the land, but too far of a commute for me to keep driving into the metroplex.

I know the farm well, its about a mile from my house. Its a nice piece of property.

[2B4Him]

We owned and operated a choose and cut Christmas tree farm for about 12 years. it was a fun business during the Christmas season - everyone came out to have fun and enjoy themselves.
But it was a lot of work during the rest of the year.
Not particularly profitable, especially if you were to buy land to start the farm. (Plus, if you a just starting, you are looking at 6 years of work/expenses before you sell your first tree.)
If you have property already, it makes more sense.
It really needs to be close enough to a major metropolitan area to draw customers willing to pay a little more for the 'experience' of cutting their own tree. Should be in East Texas sand so you can grow Virginia Pines (the other 'Christmas trees' that will grow in Texas look more like cedar trees to me).
Also, to start getting serious about revenue, you need to be close to a city so you can have a pumpkin patch in October, school tours all year, a nice barn to rent out for parties/weddings, etc.
Our farm was in Lindale and we sold it about 12 years ago. I believe the folks that bought it just sold it again last year to someone else.

[jer_james]

We owned and operated a choose and cut Christmas tree farm for about 12 years. it was a fun business during the Christmas season - everyone came out to have fun and enjoy themselves.
But it was a lot of work during the rest of the year.
Not particularly profitable, especially if you were to buy land to start the farm. (Plus, if you a just starting, you are looking at 6 years of work/expenses before you sell your first tree.)
If you have property already, it makes more sense.
It really needs to be close enough to a major metropolitan area to draw customers willing to pay a little more for the 'experience' of cutting their own tree. Should be in East Texas sand so you can grow Virginia Pines (the other 'Christmas trees' that will grow in Texas look more like cedar trees to me).
Also, to start getting serious about revenue, you need to be close to a city so you can have a pumpkin patch in October, school tours all year, a nice barn to rent out for parties/weddings, etc.
Our farm was in Lindale and we sold it about 12 years ago. I believe the folks that bought it just sold it again last year to someone else.

That's what I'm trying to figure out - If it can pay for itself. The trees are already planted and grown. It has been used as a pumpkin patch as well.

I took my kids there before, and it was done really well. They have a separate building for a Christmas store and it comes with 2 tractors as well.

[rjet]

Is it that one on fm 121 between Van Alstyne and Whitewright?
We used to go there and buy a tree every year and I dont know how that thing could not be profitable. Was always packed with folks from the metromess coming up to pay over $100 for a tree.
Commute from there to the city is not all that bad.

[wickll]

I thought about it since I have already been raising live oaks. But I planted a few Afghan pines to see how they would do . The deer tore them up. Also, decided that where my tree farm is located , it would be much too easy for the trees to be stolen. Much harder to dig up a live oak.

[TheBeaster]

Unless there have been some changes since the early to mid 1990's, I would personally find another means of having the land pay for itself. I worked on a Christmas tree farm (Virginia pines) for several years while in college.

It was very labor intensive. The trees naturally grow more like bushes and have to be individually sheared (trimmed in the shape of a Christmas tree) twice a year each summer. We used a long bladed knife and leg guards and swung the knife downward at the correct angle as we walked around the tree. At the end of summer / early fall, each tree had to be blown with a back pack blower to remove the majority of the dead needles. Nobody wants to buy a tree, set it up in their home only to have dead pine needles fall out all over their floor. Also, the Virginia pines aren't naturally as dark green as most the artificial trees available. So every tree that could possibly be sold (trees 4' and taller) had to be individually "green sprayed". Basically a dark green dye mixed in a pull behind tank with a PTO pump that is applied with a wand or spray gun to reach the top of larger trees. Then there are the "tip moths" that have to be treated for.

And to top it off, the Christmas tree season generally starts Thanksgiving weekend and runs through the weekend before Christmas. Right in the middle of deer season.

[rjet]

If it is the place I am thinking this dude has all the tools to take care of what you mentioned.
He has a machine that cuts the limbs and makes the trees cone shaped. People cut down their own tree and when they check out it is put on device that shakes the tree to knock off the dead needles. Is a pretty slick operation they have going on there.

[2B4Him]

That's what I'm trying to figure out - If it can pay for itself. The trees are already planted and grown. It has been used as a pumpkin patch as well.

I took my kids there before, and it was done really well. They have a separate building for a Christmas store and it comes with 2 tractors as well.

There are two weather issues you have to deal with: First, as with any farmer, you are at the mercy of Mother Nature - hot dry year and you lose some trees, don't get much growth, and the insect problems seem worse; Second, your 'do or die' is from Thanksgiving to the week before Christmas and if you are dependent on folks from the city coming out, a bad weather weekend kills you - people don't put off getting their tree until the next weekend - there are too many other things going on (sports, parties, etc.), so if weather prevents them from coming out on a Saturday, you have lost them for the year. Most of our customers came from DFW, so they had a 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hour drive (each way), plus a couple hours at the farm - that makes for an entire day. It becomes harder to compete with the other 'busy-ness' in peoples' lives.
The work can be pretty difficult. We used trimming machines that we strapped on, motor on our backs (see photo from the mfr. website). Trimming was usually done around Memorial Day and again around Labor Day - usually it was around 137 degrees outside, plus you have an internal combustion engine on your back. Loads of fun.

[2B4Him]

My final thought is that if you want to make it a profitable, long-term business, make it a year-round entertainment venue. We were not able to do that as far away from DFW as we were. (For example, folks wouldn't drive 2 hours each way to pick a pumpkin.)
I have a good friend with a Christmas tree farm on the southern edge of the Fort Worth area. He grows Leyland Cypress trees, which I think are the ugliest, least desirable of Christmas trees (I think that is what is pictured above). But, at this point, he grows those to look like a Christmas tree farm. 80-90 percent of the trees he sells are imported from up north (noble firs, etc.). He has year round children's entertainment areas, barns rented out for weddings, parties, concerts, a pumpkin patch in season, etc. He even charges photographers a fee to come out during the year with their clients for photos.
At Christmas time, he takes folks out on hay wagon rides through the trees, but most buy a pre-cut, northern tree in his barn.