Who doesn’t love a freshly cut Christmas tree? They invoke all of one’s senses: the distinct aroma, the look of a decorated tree, the feeling of the sharp pine needles covering a growing mound of presents as Christmas draws near. Children light up brighter than the bulbs adorning the tree, and adults, well, they become kids all over again.
“Nobody gets upset about looking at Christmas trees or sipping hot chocolate while on a hay ride,” says Steve DeHart, co-owner of Trees From DeHart along with his wife, Julie.
The couple started planting their first trees in 2004 and opened to sell their first tree in 2010. Since then, residents near and far have flocked to the tree farm and have made it an annual family tradition.
The farm is also a family tradition on its own, because it has become a true family affair. The DeHart’s sons, Zach, Casey and Brett, all work at the farm and many other family members join them during the selling season.
Steve, a retired building materials salesman, and Julie, retired from Premier Ag, decided to open the business as an additional source of income, and it has grown into a business they hope to pass on fully to their children at some point in the future.
A recent Facebook post by Franklin Magazine about the farm reaped many comments sharing the love so many have for this family-run farm. “We have been getting our trees from there for 15 years – with our daughter and then our granddaughters,” posted Stephanie Cox.
For centuries families have wandered into forests to hew their Christmas trees, creating lasting memories. Christmas tree farms became a popular way to attain a Christmas tree during the 1940s. This family tradition often becomes one of the fondest and most memorable moments of a persons life. In fact, few can remember the gifts they got from under the tree years later, but they can easily recall that day when their parents drove them to the Christmas tree farm to pick out that special tree to take home.
“Everybody is happy,” says DeHart, when referring to the many customers they see after the season opening on Black Friday, the Friday following Thanksgiving. They are open at 9:30 a.m. until dark on that day, and then it’s weekends only, also from 9:30 a.m. until dark, until they are sold out of trees.
Trees From DeHart is a 12-acre farm that produces 1,500 trees per year. DeHart believes that most of their customers choose them due to their proximity, but also because of their family-owned presence. In fact, customer satisfaction is very high and they have a large contingent of return customers.
Over time the farm has expanded the family experience, making their customer visits even more memorable. They offer free hay rides and built a playground for kids complete with a large wooden Jeep. Children can climb and then sail down the attached slide as well. They also offer hot chocolate and have a food truck on-site.
Julie also makes wreaths that she sells at the farm. What started as a hobby turned into profit as customers started asking about her wreaths, and now she hand-makes about 100 wreaths each year. Each one takes about 25 minutes to make and they sell out quickly.
The selling season goes quick as they often sell completely out of trees within the first few weekends, but the business requires a year-round commitment. They replant trees starting in April and care for them year-round. They order new seedlings each year around June. Seedlings are 2 years old and have generally never been planted, while some have been planted and replanted two times.
The income generated from tree sales is nice, but the best part of owning this business is the smiles and stories they have collected, along with the lasting memories the family sees their customers making with their own families, from generation to generation.
As most of the stories are filled with fun and laughter, the ones that tend to stand out are the oddball stories. DeHart recalls a longtime customer from Franklin who would pick out the tallest, ugliest white pine she could find. As it turns out, she would take it home and create a 5-foot-tall wreath from it.
Another family specifically looks for the worst tree on the farm – the “Charlie Brown” Christmas tree that everyone else passes by. When asked why they choose the homely tree, one of the kids said, “Because every tree needs a home.”
In today’s age where everything is complicated and available at one’s fingertips, a family trip to a Christmas-tree farm is a trip into the past. Families travel to the farm often singing Christmas carols along the way. They wander the fields filled with trees waiting to become new family members, even if for a short time.
Most families are given a small handsaw to cut their own tree down. However, if a customer needs assistance, one of the family members is more than happy to help cut it down for them. Once cut, they take the tree up to the entrance where the DeHart family shakes all the loose needles off, then levels the cut if needed and drills the tree so it can be set on a tree stand. They also put netting on the tree for the ride home on top of the family’s automobile.
The farm offers several species of trees. They grow Scotch pine and white pine trees at the farm, and they also sell pre-cut Fraser firs that they order. The Fraser firs often sell out quickly.
Steve and Julie look forward to seeing all of their regular customers each year and meeting new ones as well.
If you would like to build precious family memories this holiday season, be sure to plan a visit to the DeHarts farm and bring the whole family along. Who doesn’t love a freshly cut Christmas tree? Even mega star Taylor Swift wrote a song titled “Christmas Tree Farm” that fondly recalls her childhood days on her family’s tree farm. This is not to say that a visit to the farm might make you the next Taylor Swift, but we aren’t ruling it out either.
Trees From DeHart can be found at 3764 South 200 East in Franklin.
