DES MOINES — Iowa-grown Christmas trees are worth a million dollars annually to Iowa’s economy. Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey says tree farms make good use of land that might not be suitable for raising other crops.
“Most of the farms are just a few acres, but when you look at all the acres that we have across those farms, we have maybe 1,500 acres of Christmas trees in Iowa,” Northey said. “Often they’re in small parcels that are not very good to be able to use for getting large machinery around.”
As the industry grows, Northey said, revenue from Christmas trees is now a significant source of yearly family income for some farmers.
Northey also said most trees grown on Iowa farms are between six and 12 years old, depending on size and variety. He said those who get their trees from an Iowa farm can make the experience part of their holiday traditions.
“Folks will go out as a family and make it kind of an annual activity,” Northey said. “And there’s something special about a tree that you saw out with a lot of other trees, and you brought home and put your own decorations on it, and you know it came from Iowa.”
Some nearby tree farms are Nodaway Valley Trees, owned by John Hanika and located at 1435 300th St., Orient; Shearer Tree Farm, owned by Fred and Linda Shearer at 1870 220th St., Corning; Eivins Evergreen Pond Farm, owned by Lillian and Marvin Eivins at 1166 270th St., Winterset; Harmony Christmas Tree Farm, owned by Marvin and Janet Bassett at 1523 Trenton Ave., Stuart; Harmony Tree Farm North, owned by J. Larry Ward and Jodi Basset at 1505 Trenton Ave., Stuart; and G and R Plantation, owned by Gertrude Cloutier at 1439 Liberty Hwy., Osceola.
The most popular trees in Iowa are Scotch Pine, which have needles up to 2½ inches in length, and White Pine, which are softer and have even longer needles. The Iowa Christmas Tree Growers Association website has a directory of farms, their hours of operation and maps online at IowaChristmasTrees.com.