The Christmas tree farm The company, which Bob Schrader purchased in 2010 in Hatfield, Massachusetts, was born as a personal commitment to restore a 54-acre property that had not been used for agriculture for years. The former University of Massachusetts official saw potential where others saw only weeds decided to start a family project which is now known as Chestnut Mountain Christmas Tree Farm.
After decades as deputy director of the University of Massachusetts Cooperative Extension (UMass) Agricultural Center He decided to return to the rural work he had done in his youth..
His son Jake, 39 and co-owner of the property, joined the project after graduating from UMass Amherst with a degree in soil science. In addition to his agricultural training, he works as a foreman for Berkshire Gas and dedicates his mornings, evenings, weekends and vacation days to the farm.
“I was by my dad’s side every step of the way, through good times and bad,” Jake remembers. Bob summarizes the daily dynamic: “Most of the year, my son and I work part-time after work.”
For his part, Jake handled machine repairs and daily maintenance while Bob focused on accounting and administration.
The entire production cycle lasts 11 years. Every spring, Schrader goes shopping 6000 fir seedlings for about $2 each.
The planting is completed in two days using a special machine. A care phase then begins that lasts between seven and nine years and includes fertilization, pruning, weed control and crown formation. After harvesting a mature portion, preparing the land for a new plantation can take up to three additional years.
Bob explains that he often encounters people who underestimate the complexity of his job and reduce it to phrases like, “You plant the tree for $3 or $4 and sell it for $75.” With this in mind, he explained that the reality is “very far from what is generally believed.”
The weekend of thanksgiving focuses on the biggest movement of the year. The farm is sold nearby 2500 trees per season and a third is sold on these days. The “choose-and-cut” system (where the customer selects the tree directly at the plantation and cuts it on site) costs between $75 and $90.
For pre-cut specimens, prices are $75 for trees between 1.8 and 2.4 meters and $90 for trees between 2.4 and 2.7 meters.
Before sale, each tree goes through a process that includes shaking to remove loose debris, pressing the branches and trimming the base of the trunk. To carry out these tasks, a team of up to 12 people is required, usually made up of family members, temporary staff and friends.
The farm rounds out the offerings with an outdoor fire pit and horse-drawn carriage rides for $2 Free hot chocolate for visitors. Jake sums up the experience with a cultural analogy: “It’s like walking into a Hallmark landscape,” referring to the idealized, cozy Christmas scenes that the network’s films often feature.
Another source of income is hay cultivation on around eight hectares with an annual production of around five thousand bales (hay bales), the production of maple syrup and the sale of some firewood.
Chestnut Mountain Christmas Tree Farm generates between $50,000 and $100,000 in annual profit, an amount left over after labor, maintenance and equipment costs are covered.
The biggest future challenge is related to climate. Schrader explains that “small fluctuations in temperature and humidity” can have “big impacts.” Heavy rains, droughts and extreme events weaken trees and increase their susceptibility to disease.
For example, this year the company is faced with an outbreak of epidemics after an unusually rainy spring Phytophthoraa fungus that kills seedlings within three months, so they have already lost several of these specimens. To curb the progression of the problem, Bob is working with the University of Massachusetts and the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, which are developing prevention and management strategies.
Jake often repeats: “Farmers are the biggest players in the world“Although he has been in the industry for 15 years, he says he still feels new. His goal is to quit his formal job and dedicate himself fully to the farm. His father shares this desire: he hopes that the farm remains active and that Jake will take control when he can no longer continue.”
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