A2B-Lancnttr Farming, Saturday, Dacambar 23, 1995
Relive The Experience Of
(Continued from Pago At)
body. Wagon rides try to explain
what’s going on at the farm. And
everything we use on the rides we
use daily on the farm.”
He said that the farm doesn’t use
herbicides and pesticides on the
trees. With help from Cammauf
brothers Brent and Justin, the trees
ate cut and replaced by seedlings
in the spring. Mowing is in both
directions.
Shearing is done by Doug and
Lynn from mid-June through Sep
tember to give the trees that dense,
tight shape that consumers prefer.
Lately, however, the Potts have
been selling a tree that has not been
sheared and shows one year’s
worth of natural growth. Many
prefer the look that nature pro
vides, untouched by shears.
Doug said the experience of
picking a tree “is as close to being
able to go out in the woods and just
select your tree,’ ’ like families did
in the old days.
Six years ago when they started
selling choose and cut trees, the
Potts have marketed their farm for
people who “want to come and
experience the afternoon.”
Of the 20 acres owned by the
-- k>. 11 i< ipol
and coffee. Every child gets a coloring book and candy
cane. The wagon rides through the fields are scheduled on
the weekends. Lynn stands here with Jenna, 21 months.
Shearing 1$ done , , ®r*v . _ _
through September to give the trees that dense, tight shape
that consumers prefer. Here, Devin helps worti the tree drill.
Potts, 13 are devoted to Christmas
trees. When they purchased the
farm in 1989, the Potts wanted to
settle down, have a few horses and
sell some trees to landscaping
firms.
Along the way, they changed
their minds.
“When we purchased the farm,
we primarily bought it not to go
into the Christmas tree business,"
he said. “We bought it as a resi
dence. And we really didn’t know
what we were going to do with the
trees.”
Some of the trees were planted
by the previous owner, who sold
the trees to landscape Turns. The
Potts still sell trees to landscape
operations.
Instead, they decided to sell the
trees during Christmastime, avail
able in heights ranging from one to
14 feet. Fir trees grown include
Douglas, Fraser, Canaan, and Con
color. TTiey also grow Colorado
Blue Spruce. Pine trees are the
White, Austrian, and Hemlock.
On the weekends, the bam is
open for free hot chocolate and
coffee. Every child gets a coloring
book and candy cane. The wagon
rides through the fields are sche-
Cutting Your Own Tree At Christmastime
“Most people love the experience of cutting the tree,” said Doug Potts, who helps
part-time with the operation. That experience “Is what’s going to bring the families
that buy trees from us back year after year.” From left, Jenna, 21 months, Lynn, Devin,
Wesley, and their dog, Sa
duled on the weekends
“Most people love the experi
ence of cutting the tree,” said
Doug Potts, who helps part-time
with the operation. That experi
ence “is what’s going to bring
back the families that buy trees
from us year after year.”
Doug has a full-time job as gen
eral sales manager for the Tom
Masano car dealership in Reading.
Lynn believes people are often
surprised by all the work involved
in growing a tree.
“A lot of people think you plant
a bee and watch it grow for 7-10
years, and that’s so untrue,” she
said.
Doug said, “They think you put
it in the ground for 43 cents apiece
and just come back seven to 10
years later and you’re instantly
wealthy.”
That’s not the.case because, as
Lynn said, taking care of Christ
mas trees until they are cut and
purchased is “very labor
intensive.”
Often they answer the customer
question about whether it is right to
go out and cut trees. Lynn reas
sures them that it’s ‘ ‘not like we’re
going out in a forest and leveling it
and building buildings.” Cut trees
are replaced.
And the chores can get pretty
exhausting. “As hot and dry as it
was in August, we were mowing,”
she said. The weeds seem to prefer
hot and dry weather and pose a
constant challenge.
The Potts have received a lot of
comments from customers about
* <M>
customer.
allow people to experience what Christmas Is and how
Christmas trees are grown. Don't Just push them through a
parking lot with a number with no sense of how the trees got
there.
the farm. They prefer to keep the
operation the way it is, not adding
a lot of “commercialism” so pre-'
valant on choose and cut
operations.
“Bigger and more doesn’t
always necessarily mean better,”
said Doug. He said that the overall
Christmas tree industry is overpro
ducing and many people are exper
iencing stagnant sales.
For the Potts, this is their sixth
selling season and each year their
sales are doubling. Doug sales they
sell between 600-1.000 Christmas
trees every year.
People come from all over to
visit the farm. That includes visi
tors from New Jersey and from
nearby in Mohnton. Centeiport,
and all over Berks County.
Last year, Lynn said people
came with their umbrellas, despite
a rainy weekend.
Doug said that one time, a cus
tomer came at dusk and used the
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lias Fir for a