Drought and Great Recession impact live Christmas tree availability, but holiday joy is still easy to find at Iverson Tree Farm near Belview, Minnesota
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BELVIEW — It is that special time of year at the Iverson Tree Farm near Belview in Redwood County, when it transforms from a tree nursery that sells landscape trees such as maple and pine to a magical Christmas tree forest. Families come from around the region to find that perfect evergreen to deck out in holiday finery.
"That is fun, just the excitement and smiles, celebrating the true meaning of Christmas," said Melanie Nelson, who owns the tree farm with her husband, Cody.
The more than 70-acre tree farm is celebrating its 31st holiday season, though the Nelsons have owned the farm for only the past three years. They purchased the property from its original owner, Ron Iverson, in July 2019.
Cody said he originally approached Ron about just renting a few acres to grow hay for the Nelsons' cattle. By the time Cody returned home, he wanted to buy the entire farm. The couple now work full time at the tree farm, while still raising cattle.
"We always wanted a farm, just didn't know it would be a tree farm," Melanie said. "We love it."
A challenging Christmas tree season
In a normal year, Cody said the farm would sell more than 800 trees between Thanksgiving and Christmas, with many families choosing to hike through the farm's acres to find and cut down their own special tree. But, like so much lately, 2021 is not a normal year.
The challenges facing Iverson and other tree farms like it are not connected to COVID-19 or major supply chain disruptions, though. It dates back to 2008, when the Great Recession hit and people started to lose their homes due to foreclosure or other reasons. Cody said for those years, people either couldn't afford or didn't have the space for a regular-sized Christmas tree. So, Christmas tree farms didn't sell their available stock and cut back on planting new. Fast forward a decade, and there is now a lack of 7- to 9-foot Christmas trees, the most popular sizes, Cody said.
"It takes eight to 10 years to grow a Christmas tree," Cody said, so the consequences from the lack of plantings from the housing crisis and recession are really starting to be felt now.
The drought this year didn't do the Nelsons and their trees any favors either. Many of the trees Cody had hoped would be ready for this holiday instead will need at least another growing season to reach their full potential. There just wasn't enough rain to facilitate the growth needed for the full tree most families are looking for.
"We hate seeing people leave with empty pickup trucks," Cody said, but the couple understands that finding a tree is just going to be a bit harder this year.
To protect the trees that should make up the backbone of next year's crop, the farm is cutting back on letting families cut their own this year, instead offering mostly pre-cut trees. They don't want visitors to remove a tree today that would have made the perfect Christmas tree next year.
"We are doing what we can to preserve future years," Cody said, adding he hopes next year the farm will be able to go back to its traditional cut-your-own experience.
Due to the reduced number of trees, the Nelsons believe they'll be selling a couple hundred trees fewer than usual. As of Tuesday, Cody said there are probably only about 150 to 200 trees left, and that includes those he is having brought in pre-cut from a farm near St. Cloud. The Nelsons are asking customers to be a little bit more flexible this year in choosing a tree.
"The word of the season is grace," Melanie said. "Flexible, open-minded."
Keeping your tree merry and bright
Once a tree has been chosen and tied to the top of the car or put in the bed of a truck, it is time to bring it home. The Nelsons have two simple tips for people to keep their Christmas tree fresh through New Year's Day.
The first is to give the tree a fresh cut before putting it in the stand. This makes sure the tree can easily draw up water.
And the most important tip?
"Keep it watered," Cody said.
Each tree is different in how much water it will need on a daily basis. Some might drink gallons, while others barely a sip. The temperature and the moisture in a home will have an impact on a tree's water needs, the Nelsons explained.
It will be a holly jolly Christmas today and into the future
Even if a family is unable to find a tree at Iverson, there is still plenty of holiday fun to be had.
"There is so much more than the tree," Melanie said. "We want you to come and enjoy the day."
The farm has greenery, outdoor planters and wreaths for sale, along with their market of gift items — including Iverson Tree Farm sweatshirts as well as home décor and food options.
A new addition to the main building was opened this fall to house the market and also provides a great place for Santa to greet kids on the weekends. Horse-drawn wagon rides are also available on the weekends during the holiday season.
The farm is currently open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week through the Christmas tree season. Events, hours and more information can be found on the farm's Facebook and Instagram pages.
Looking forward to next year and beyond, the couple believe things look good. They planted nearly 4,000 new trees this spring and plan to continue doing so moving forward in hopes of avoiding another shortage like 2021. They also hope the trees that were stunted by the drought will rebound, providing a larger crop of Christmas trees for next year.
With all the challenges this year though, families might end up living a scene straight out of a holiday classic.
"It is the year of the Charlie Brown Christmas tree," Cody said.
And if memory serves, that little tree turned into something rather spectacular at the end.
"It is what you make it," Melanie said.
