RELATED: Clifton Mill’s 4M Christmas lights take months to set up
Carl Young and his brothers, Bob and Bill Young, founded the dairy. Ben Young, his son, said that Carl Young and his wife Dorothy loved growing trees. So it was kind of a no-brainer that Carl Young would find a way to make that happen in a special way when he stepped away from the dairy business several years ago.
“It was a hobby of Carl’s and he always liked planting trees,” Ben said. “When he retired from the dairy and restaurant business he started planting Christmas trees with his wife Dorothy. Then in 1985 they started planting here. I bet he only planted 500 trees the first year. The idea was to only plant each year what you would probably harvest in eight years or so.”
Carl and Dorothy Young’s Cut Your Own Christmas Trees has been a hit ever since. People looking for a tree can roam 30 acres full of them with a chance to look through White Pine, Scotch Pine and Norway Spruce.
The operation has kept growing and has added Canaan Fir, Douglas Fir, Concolor Fir, Blue Spruce, Serbian Spruce and Black Hills Spruce.
The tree farm ensures a constant flow of mature trees by planting on spots in the spring where the trees were cut and sold in the winter. The trees will turn over every eight to 10 years depending on how tall a tree customers want.
Today the Christmas tree farm now boasts a modern drip irrigation system, yearly hand shearing and manicuring.
“It has grown fast the past five years. We have planted an extra thousand trees each year we’ve started to catch up with the demand,” Ben Young said. “We are pleased with the growth of the business.”
He added that the Christmas tree operation is environmentally friendly and keeps a seasonal staff of 10 people busy during the holiday season.
“This is a perpetual business because if someone wants to work hard, you can have a renewable resource as you continually plant trees,” Ben Young said.
Along with his dad, Ben Young works with farm with field manager Ray Bowermaster. “Between the three of us and the seasonal workers, we can get the job done,” he said.
Local residents Phil Miller and his daughter, Sara Gray, were excited to have the opportunity to get their Christmas trees this year from Young’s.
“We just kept driving by and decided that we were going to stop in and get our trees here,” Gray said. “This is a really neat experience and I’m glad we stopped to get our trees here.”
From events like a wool gathering to miniature golf and pumpkin picking, Ben Young said the dairy will always try to be a tie that can bind family, friends and fun.
“The events are nice but similar because it is not just about a single event it is about families being able to share in the fun of the event together,” Ben Young said. “It is about having a great family experience together.”
About the Author