What It’s Like to Own a Christmas Tree Farm
There was a definite spark, says Tom Dull of meeting his wife, Kerry, on an International 4-H Youth Exchange program to the Netherlands in 1980. Married two years later, the newlyweds moved to a 25-acre farmstead in Thorntown, Indiana, and, for their first Christmas, Kerry suggested cutting down their own tree.
“We loved the tradition so much, we decided to plant our own,” says Tom. Two hundred and fifty Scotch pine saplings went into the ground, and the couple spent the next eight years weeding, shearing, and caring for the evergreens until, in 1993, the trees had matured enough to be shared with others.
Since then, Dull’s Tree Farm has won multiple grand champion tree ribbons at the Indiana State Fair, but the best reward has been the customers who come back year after year to sip hot cocoa, shop the farm’s trading post, and pick out the perfect tree. “It’s really about families spending time together and making memories,” Kerry says.
The couple’s adult children have also returned to the family property. Son Lucas helps with farming, daughter Erin oversees special events, and five grandchildren pitch in, too. “One once asked me about a chore, saying, ‘If I’m going to run this farm someday, I need to know how to do that,’ ” says Tom. “I think the place is in good hands.”
Meet the Dulls!
Christmas tree farmers Tom and Kerry spend more than half the year prepping their 65 acres of firs for the season.
A Fetching Christmas Tradition
The first weekend of each December, adoptable Newfoundland dogs—originally bred to help with chores—assist with tree carting and general merriment. Proceeds from the event benefit the local Newfoundland rescue program.
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Top Picks from the Trading Post
Farm souvenirs include enamelware mugs and Tom’s custom-designed ornaments.
Inside the Wreath Barn
Daughter-in-law Dana assembles a Canaan fir-and-boxwood wreath in the property’s converted granary-turned-wreath barn.
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A Jolly Red Welcome
Three generations of Dulls stand in front of the farm’s 1888 English-style transverse frame barn, which is used for displaying and selling wreaths and fresh greenery during the Christmas season.
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