Income $50,000 $200,000
The range of income for the third year will depend upon how many distribution points you establish. The first two seasons will not show a yield unless you purchase an existing farm.
Description
Christmas tree farming is best located in mountainous areas where the air is clear and cold in the winter. The trees flourish in higher elevations.
One of the benefits of this business is that the major thrust is during a 30-day period. During the month prior to Christmas, the hours will be long and physically demanding.
However, your marketing program will involve an all year-long process.
Clients
There are approach schools and organizations rather than infringing on other’s territory. They can use the sale to their captive audience as a fund raising activity. Organizations would include Churches, Lions, Kiwanis, Rotary, Soroptimists as well as other organization which is member based.
You’ll need to secure and negotiate the rate for the lot through the organization’s contacts. Of course, if it is a school or a church, it would most likely be their property, so there would be no rental fee.
Marketing Plan
This is a great business, which will lend itself towards you educating your clients such as Boy and Girl Scout clubs, Chambers of Commerce, non profits and service organizations as to how you can help them raise funds. Every organization looks for new methods of fund raising. Once you show them that you have a system for fund raising, their commitment to the program should be fairly easy.
It is a good idea to create flyers and schedule charts in order to make it easier for them to promote the Christmas tree lot and manage the sales they will generate.
Power Partners
Your Power Partners will consist of other farmers who sell their produce directly the public. They will include anyone who markets their business to organizations.
The conversations with these Power Partners should include your willingness to include them in your referrals as you become aware of clients that need their services. It is important you meet with these Power Partners in person the first time, and keep in touch with them weekly by email or by a phone.
Requirements
Christmas tree farming requires a minimum of 5 acres in order to produce enough trees to be lucrative financially. Research the techniques used by other farmers and take the time to visit with them. You might find a farm that is for sale, which would eliminate the time period it requires to produce sellable trees.
Resources:
Here are a number of resources which I have come across: http://www.freeplants.com/
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/trees/index.html
http://www.alibris.com/search/search.cfm?S=R&qwork=1088769&qsort=p&cm_ven=Search&
cm_cat=Google&cm_pla=Titles&cm_ite=
_Christmas+Tree+Farm&siteID=weIGhKlvRv8-K0BA04Nw_4H564qF6cBrRQ
Personality Type: Expressive, Amiable
Total Start Up Costs: Less than $150,000-500,000
(includes the land, business cards, tools, a phone and advertising)