Have you ever wondered how to start a Christmas tree farm? Maybe you love the holidays. Perhaps you’re interested in the money making opportunity of owning a Christmas tree farm.
Farmers and entrepreneurs across the country are always looking for new and exciting ways to make money. While artificial trees are trendy, there’s no replacement for an authentic Christmas tree for the season.
Just how lucrative can a Christmas tree farm be? According to national averages, a Christmas tree farmer can make anywhere from $10,000 – $20,000 a season. Despite these numbers and the fact that the number of people buying real trees is increasing, many farmers are leaving the Christmas tree game.
The anticipated supply and demand issue has many people wondering how to start a Christmas tree farm so that they can lock in some annual holiday cash.
Let’s take a look at some tips, tricks, and steps so you can know how to start a Christmas tree farm.
Find the Right Land
If you don’t already have a farm or land for your Christmas tree farm, you’ll need to buy some. However, not all land is created equally, and you’ll need to buy a lot of it. You can plant around fifteen hundred trees per acre. These trees take approximately seven to eight years to reach maturation, so you can expect around 200 trees to be ready to go every season.
The amount of land you need depends on how many trees you want to sell and how much profit you want to make each year. It’s also essential to find land that can facilitate growing trees. Be sure to find land whose soil is ripe for planting or tilling, and don’t get strapped with land whose soil won’t house Christmas trees (I,e. look for fields with well-drained soil).
Pick the Right Trees
There are more than one species of Christmas trees. Some are prettier than others. Some regions have different preferences. Sometimes it’s about the area and growing conditions. The three most popular varieties in the U.S. are the Balsam fir, Scotch pine, and Douglas fir.
All three have their advantages and disadvantages. Each grows better in certain conditions. Ultimately, you want to do your research to make sure you find the right tree for your region, climate, maintenance goals, and buyers before you plant.
Understand That It Takes Time
As we said above, it takes about seven to eight years for most Christmas trees to reach full growth. Some take up to ten years! So, if you’re interested in how to start a Christmas tree farm, the key is to get started now.
The good news is that Christmas tree farming takes very little work, compared to other crops, especially in those first four years. Just know that it will be a while before you’re ready to start selling. So, the sooner you get started, the better off you’ll be.
Create A Business Strategy
While the competition is dwindling, you still need to have a plan to be profitable. Owning a Christmas tree farm is a business, after all. You need to know and establish your ongoing costs and get a handle on who your target market is.
You’ll need to pick a price point, plan marketing strategies, pick a name for your business, pick a price point, and more. You’ll have to think about how you’ll sell your trees. Will you sell them directly to consumers or retail stores?
Like any other business, you need to determine a business strategy and have a plan of action. This is especially important since you won’t start earning a profit until at least seven years when the trees begin to reach maturation.
Increase Profitability Possibilities
Many Christmas tree farmers maximize profitability with other products, like wreaths. Some Christmas tree farms also do pumpkins for Halloween. If you go straight to the consumer, there are profit-making opportunities with options like “cut your own tree” or “family nights,” where you can charge consumers for the experience in addition to the tree itself.
Think about all the ways you can increase the profit. Remember, it starts with the trees, but the more you can add on, the more worth it the investment will be.
Market Your Christmas Tree Farm
Once your farm is up and running, don’t forget to market it effectively. If you’re going directly to retailers, this might not be necessary. However, if you’re selling to consumers, you’re going to need a marketing strategy.
Be sure to hang up flags around the farm and take out plenty of local advertisements. Also, remember that we’re in the age of the internet. Advertise on social media and apps like NextDoor and Craigslist, and more. Do whatever you need to do to get the word out that you have Christmas trees!
Final Thoughts on How to Start a Christmas Tree Farm
Deciding to start a Christmas tree farm is not a decision you should take lightly. It’s a long-term commitment that will take several years to pay off. However, if you have the right land and the right plan, you could have a very lucrative seasonal business on your hands all because you decided to move forward today.
Search for hundreds of properties on Land.US today that you can turn into a Christmas tree farm.