Quality Seedlings,
(Continued from Pago At)
Bruce Bachert, Sr. and family,
including Harvey, his uncle, and
Bruce’s family still carry on the
tradition of purchasing quality see
dlings and maintaining the prac
tices that Bruce’s great
grandfather began and perfected at
Schuylkill Forest Farm.
“Growers from all over the state
used to come here to see what he
used to practice,’’ said Bruce
Bachert during an interview at his
253-acre Christmas tree farm in
the heart of Hawk Mountain Val
ley. along the southern ridge of
Schuylkill County. Bruce grows
about 135 acres of five varieties of
Christmas trees on three different
tracts of land in the Mill Mountain
and Hawk Mountain region.
Bruce said that quality is more
important than quantity in the
operation. This is a hallmark
started by his great-grandfather,
John Bachert.
The technique of shearing
would impress growers, because
“a lot of people years back used to
just take the wild trees, they
wouldn’t shear them, they
wouldn’t do anything with them,”
hesaid. “They would just goout in
the woods and cut wild trees.”
Bruce said the Bacherts were the
first in the area to actually cultivate
Christmas trees just like com to a
grain farmer. They were the first to
‘ ‘put the trees in the ground just for
tree production.
“A lot of people in the area do it
now,” said Bruce. “It’s a thriving
business.”
Bruce said the business is very
manual-labor intensive. Big equip
ment has little or no place in the
businesss because of the exacting
nature of maintaining the individu
al trees.
“It’s an industry that you’ve got
to like,” said Bruce. “If you don’t
like it, I mean, you’re not in it for
long. Believe me.”
Bert Bachert, Bruce’s uncle,
took over the business from John
Bachert in 1954. For 37 years, Bert
Bachert ran the business until it
iws are used by Bruce Bachert, Jr. to notch the
center of the trunk on the Christmas tree.
Shearing, Fresh Cut Trees Hallmarks Of Schuylkill Forest Farm
was purchased by Bruce in spring
of this year.
The Bacherts, who farm with
Bruce, Sr., wife Jean, and sons
Bruce, Jr., Joel, Jared, and Bret,
maintain about 135 acres of Christ
mas trees. They grow mostly firs,
including Douglas and Frazer.
Also, they grow several varieties
of spruce and also Scotch Pine.
In addition, they maintain IS
acres of hay for several horses.
Most of the Christmas trees are
grown for bulk wholesale to mark
ets in New Jersey and Philadelphi
a. They manage a small local retail
operation. About 90 percent of
their business is cut trees for
wholesale, but they also make
wreaths, garlands, and bows for
the season, according to Jean
Bachert
From spring until mid-June,
stump removal, cultivation, and
seedling planting (from reputable
local dealers) are undertaken by
the Bacherts. From mid-June until
Thanksgiving, the trees are
sheared. Beginning at Thanksgiv
ing, cutting begins. By the begin
ning of December, cutting is a full
time chore, beginning at 7 in the
morning and often lasting until
past midnight.
“We started right before
Thanksgiving,” said Jean Bachert.
‘ ‘Our first orders went out Thanks
giving Day. And it’s been a rush
ever since.”
At the day of the interview, the
Bacherts were busy cutting and
baling 200 Douglas Fir trees at a
70-acre parcel in the Hawk Moun
tain Valley for shipment to a mark
et in the Bronx, N.Y. Orders of
hundreds of trees were still being
filled, and the cutting continues
until about four days before
Christmas.
The Douglas Firs are about 12
years old and range in height from
6-8 feet Schuylkill Forest Farms
cuts trees ranging from ‘ 'tabletop’ ’
size at 4 feet, up to 14 feet trees
purchased by churches, civic orga
nizations, and others
Trees are careful
Bruce, right and Jean Bachert maintain this 150*acre Christmas tree farm in the
heart of Mill Mountain, along the southern ridge of Schuylkill County. Bruce grows a
Wide variety of Christmas trees on three different tracts of land in the Mill Mountain
and Hawk Mountain region. Photo by Andy Andrews
indicate “seconds,” because of
discoloration, unevenness, or other
factors that may indicate a lack of
quality. The trees are wrapped by a
“baler,” then stacked in a hay
wagon, and eventually loaded into
a tractor-trailer for shipment.
Quality is utmost in the minds of
the growers. Jean Bachert pointed
to one tree that was slightly open
near the bottom. “It might look
perfect in someone else’s eyes, but
my husband says that’s a second,”
she said.
“I try to deal with quality
instead of quantity,” said Bruce
Bachert “That’s what my uncle
always used to stress. If you deal
with quality, he used to say, you
don’t have to deal with the
numbers.”
Fortunately, since the glut of
Bruce Bacheit, Jr., right, uses a chainsaw to notch the
demand fefosh a? trunk of 8 Douglas Fir while grandfather Harvey watches,
ere have been faced with carefully Th e Douglas Firs are about 12 years old and range in height
inTnow from 6-8 feet. Schuylkill Forest Farms cuts trees ranging
2SES SSi lie™ »">«" “tabletop" size at four feet, up to 14-foot trees pur
“it seems like things aretuLig chased b V churches, civic organizations, and others,
around, again,” he said. “I’m in I
notched to
Harvey Bachert, ht and grandson Bruce im>. ~
tract In the Hawk Mountain Valley. The Bacherts, with full-time help from Randy Mar
tin, were busy cutting and baling 400 Douglas Fir trees at a 70-acre parcel In the Hawk
Mountain Valley for shipment to a market in the Bronx, N.Y. Orders of hundreds of
trees were still being filled, and the cutting continues until about four days before
Christmas.
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