Wisconsin Christmas Tree Farms Spruce Up the Holidays
In partnership with: Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.
Wisconsin Christmas tree farmers must be on Santa’s nice list. Nearly 2 million Christmas trees are harvested annually from more than 800 farms in Wisconsin, ranking the state fifth in the nation and contributing $50 million in sales to the state’s economy. Beyond the figures lies a deep-rooted tradition of stewardship, family farms and hearty evergreens grown in ideal conditions.
“We plant six tree species, including Fraser fir, balsam fir, Canaan fir, concolor fir, white pine and Scotch pine,” says Dave Cook, co-owner of Cooks’ Woods in Grant County. “Those trees grow well in our farm’s soil types and survive our climate.”
See more: Guide to Christmas Tree Varieties
Cook and his wife, Barbara, initially continued raising grain and hogs when they assumed operations from his parents. In 1995, they planted Christmas trees to diversify their unused pastures.
Call it a Christmas miracle because Cooks’ Woods transformed into a popular choose-and-cut tree farm, with handmade wreaths and other greenery.
Wisconsin Christmas Tree Farms: A Seasonal Centerpiece
Christmas tree farming is quite labor-intensive and time-consuming, requiring year-round dedication beyond the holidays.
“There’s a lot of work to growing Christmas trees,” says Gerald Francis, who runs Francis Trees in Columbia County, a second-generation choose-and-cut farm, with his wife, Mona, and children, Derric and Morgan.
Efforts include prepping the fields and soil, planting seedlings and continual maintenance, like mowing between rows, fertilizing, addressing pests, watering and pruning.
“Few people realize we pick all the pine cones off the trees when they’re beginning to form,” Francis says. “This allows the tree’s energy to go into the tree itself, rather than the cones.”
See more: How Are Christmas Trees Grown?
For those eager to see presents under the Christmas tree, patience can be hard. But patience is an essential virtue when it comes to farming Christmas trees. Typically, it takes eight to 10 years to achieve a harvestable tree.
Artificial trees have cut into sales of real trees. However, in regions with strong agricultural roots, like Wisconsin, real trees continue to top fake alternatives. As with buying any locally grown commodity, purchasing a real Christmas tree supports farmers and the land they manage. Tree farms stabilize soil, protect water supplies and support complex ecosystems by absorbing carbon dioxide and emitting oxygen.
Cooks’ Woods and Francis Trees each plant more than 5,000 trees per year, to the benefit of the environment and Christmas enthusiasts.