|
Owning Christmas tree farm is a dream come true for Bellville man |
|||
|
By MONETTE TAYLOR | South Central Texas Edition |
|||
December 12, 2002 -- After retiring from the Air Force and then the Civil Service, Kenneth Martin said he knew he wanted to work with trees. When his wife, Judy, was reassigned in her business to the Houston area, they looked for a place where she would be near enough to commute, and he could pursue his dream of a Christmas tree farm. Bellville, in the heart of Austin County and about 50 miles west-northwest of Houston, met the criteria. In 1996, they made the move to the Bellville area and have never looked back. Judy has since "retired" and works, side-by-side, with Kenneth to provide the public with a great place to visit, pick out a Christmas tree, and have a day of fun, too. The first trees were planted in 1997, and by 2000, they sold 420 trees. As members of the Texas Christmas Tree Growers Association, they discovered that quantity was about average for a first year's crop. The Martins' goal is to plant 2000 trees, each season, to insure that trees will be available in the coming years. According to Kenneth, if you want trees in four-and-a-half years, you have to continue to rotate the planting. "I just always enjoyed trees in general, and wanted to 'do' trees. We spent a short time in Washington State, and there were Christmas tree farms all around us up there, and we just thought it would be a lot of fun," laughed Kenneth. Presently, there are approximately 7,000 trees of various sizes growing on the Martin's 16 acres. Kenneth said that the trees are "kind of like children." Just because they come from the same lot doesn't mean they will grow at the same rate. Usually, within four to five years, the trees are six- to eight-feet high. On their 20-acre "Christmas Tree Plantation," the 16 acres devoted to Christmas trees are irrigated, and Kenneth said he works about 14 hours a day working with the trees. "That surprises people. They come out here and they see us having fun. They think this is great! They think the trees just grow this way, but we're constantly shaping and shearing," laughed Judy. Kenneth has a 45-pound motorized piece of equipment he straps on his back and uses to shear each tree, three times a year. He said he has to be sure and trim the bottom limbs of the trees or they will grow into the ground. If the tops of the trees aren't shaped, there will be 10 tops and "no place to put the star," Judy added. Along with the Christmas trees available to families, the Martins offer a concession with plate lunches, a gift store and a "Jingle Bell Express Children's Train," as well as a hayride. Judy also has a catering and event/meeting planning business that operates out of the farm, and plans to enlarge the kitchen she uses for catering, as well as open a tea room (with a Christmas theme) that will be open year around. During the year while the Christmas trees are growing, the Martins offer an Easter "Eggs"travaganza, a Pumpkin Harvest Tour, and have tried to have a summer theatre (which was rained out this year). The couple said they like to "keep things fresh" and plan on adding a couple of events each year for families to enjoy. The Martins said the part they really enjoy about the holiday season is watching the families and children. On an average weekend, they see anywhere from 75 to 100 cars, daily, each containing at least three or four people, so there's a lot of action. Judy's mom travels to Bellville each weekend, during the Christmas season, to be "Mrs. Claus," costume and all, and sits in a beautiful, red sleigh for photos with the children. "The little kids just get out of the car and they run to one thing and they can't stand it. So, they stop for a minute and then run to something else," laughed Kenneth. One tree that is becoming increasingly popular for families with allergy members who still want a live tree is the Leyland Cypress, which has no seeds or pollen, according to Kenneth. It is started from cuttings and is "very lacy." Other trees at the Martin's farm include their own Virginia Pines, and North Carolina Fraser Firs which are precut and shipped to the farm. In about three years, the Carolina Sapphire (with a bluish color) that is growing on the farm will be ready for cutting and selling. While they have had no disease problems, the Martins learned first-hand that spraying the trees was a necessity. Along with a group from Texas A&M, they have studied and controlled the insect population, but must remain vigilant. "We have this one little critter called a Nantucket Pine-tip moth, and they drill right into the end of it (limbs) and damage the end of new growth coming out ...," said Kenneth. Another insect, which cost the Martins 206 Christmas trees is what Kenneth calls a "Flathead Boar." It appeared when the land across the road from his farm was cleared. Even with the labor-intensive work with the trees, the Martins can't imagine doing anything they'd enjoy more. As Kenneth said, " ... it's some work, but it's an awful lot of fun!" (Martin Farms Christmas Tree Plantation will be open, daily, from 10a.m. to 5 p.m. until Dec. 22. It is located at 150 Hwy. 159E outside of Bellville.) |
