I’ve spent the last couple of weeks talking with different tree farmers in Wisconsin. The best part is that no matter which one you choose to get your tree from, these guys are all more than willing to help you out. You can tell they love their jobs. They’ve talked about it all, from planting the trees from scratch to buying a farm and taking it over. Between the four farms I stopped at, they’ve done it all.
I just wanted to help everyone realize how much work actually goes into a tree farm. This isn’t just some seasonal job that they do for fun. They walked me through what a typical year looks like for them and it’s anything but easy work. These guys are busy all year. They have to do the planting, do the shearing, take all of the pine cones, keep the weeds away, and also harvest trees when it’s time. I’m missing some of the things they do, but you get it, they’ve got their hands full.
Alright, if you’re looking for a place to get a tree, you’ve come to the right place!
Check one of these places out this year…maybe make it a tradition.
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Aissen Tree Farm:
Pilsen, WI (near Luxemburg)
Jeff and Tammy Aissen are the owners at the farm. They love helping people out because they wanna make sure that the traditions of Christmas stay alive.
One thing that’s very important to these guys is family. The farm thrives off of the whole crew helping out. Tammy grew up on a tree farm and now her kids are lucky enough to have had that same experience.
The family started the farm from scratch, so if anybody knows hard work, it’s these guys. The best part about the farm is that you can go out and cut your own Christmas tree!
It wouldn’t be a full trip out to the farm if you didn’t stop in the gift shop and check out the Christmas world they have going on in there. You almost feel like you’re at the North Pole.
Check out the full interview with them
here
!
–
Bay View Tree Farm:
Luxemburg, WI
This place isn’t anything new to the area, but the owners are fairly new to the business. Shawn McDonough and his family took the farm over in 2017 and are now in their third Christmas season.
This is also a place where you can cut your own tree. I think that’s one of the really cool parts about getting a tree of your own. It’s definitely something you always remember.
Luckily, when it gets cold out you don’t need to worry because you can warm up in the cabin! Shawn said that sometimes he’ll even see some families make a whole day out of it and bring the football to throw around. It’s the little things like that, that make these traditions so memorable.
The farm also does a really cool thing called “Trees for Troops”. They give free Christmas trees to military families and troops in all branches of the military. This program reaches over 65 bases in the United States as well as overseas.
Check out the full interview with Shawn McDonough
here
!
–
Woodland Trees Farm:
Sheboygan Falls, WI
It was great to stop at Woodland Trees Farm and I’m glad I got to talk to Craig Rusch, the owner, about his story.
Craig and his first wife, Kathi, started the farm back in 1998. Sadly, Kathi passed away that next year after some complications with a bone marrow transplant. But with the help of friends and family, he was able to keep the farm going.
Craig plants about 500 new trees every year to keep up with sales. The Christmas tree genes skipped a generation and landed on him. His grandpa was a Christmas tree broker for the area and sold trees from the 1950s to the ’70s.
The farm sets up shop right inside Sheboygan Falls at the Odyssey Fun Center in town. It’s a great set up! This is where you can get wreaths, boughs, and of course your Christmas tree.
Listen to his story
here
!
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Holiday Creek Tree Farm:
Plover, WI
Don and Cheryl Jochman are experts in the Christmas tree business. This wasn’t what the couple planned on doing originally, but it worked out! They’ve been running Holiday Creek Tree Farm for 45 years now and from talking with them, you can tell they still love it.
Don was telling me that he has an irrigation system in place on the farm because the soil in that area is pretty sandy. The irrigation system helps him control how much moisture the trees are getting.
I asked Don why he still loves doing this even after 45 years and he didn’t hesitate to tell me it’s because of the people. He loves seeing the families come and make memories on the farm. Don even has people who used to come here as kids, that now bring their kids. That’s what he loves the most.
While you go cut down your Christmas tree you can also stop and roast some marshmallows with the family.
Oh, and of course, the best way to get out to cut your tree down is to take a ride on “Tommy the Train”.
Don showed me the whole process from looking for a tree to cutting it down, shaking the needles off, wrapping it, and setting it up.
Now I’m basically an expert on Christmas trees! …..kind of.
Take a look at the interview with Don right
here
.
No matter where you decide to get your Christmas tree this year, hopefully, this gives you a better appreciation for tree farmers. The goal is to help people realize all of the hard work these farmers do all year so that we can put up a tree and have a great Christmas with our friends and families!
