Tree farmers move product from field to family rooms

One of the busiest shopping places in Southeast Missouri on a weekend leading up to the holidays isn't in any mall. It's down a country road outside Jackson, where the Meier family takes their customers by horse-drawn wagon up a hill to pick a Christmas tree.

This year marks the 26th season of sending trees from the field to the living room for the family who runs Meier Horse Shoe Pines, and owner Steve Meier said he anticipates it will be a good one.

"The tree growth this year is wonderful," Meier said. "It's a good crop."

The Meiers sell a variety of fresh trees -- including Scotch pine, white pine, Virginia pine and Norway spruce -- selected from the field by customers who visit the farm. They also grow cedar for fresh greenery garlands and several varieties of evergreens for wreaths, which are handmade and sold at the Christmas shop at the farm.

A 15-acre plot of trees, including the seedlings brought in from Indiana and planted, make up the farm. Meier and his wife, Teresa, with their three sons and other family members, run the farm, along with using some hired help at holiday time.

A tag hangs from a sold tree at Meier Horse Shoe Pines in Jackson Friday. (Glenn Landberg)

Last week the Meiers were busily preparing for an influx of customers they expected on the tree field's opening day, which was Friday. The farm is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays from now until Christmas.

Meier said he is happy with the quality of his product this year after he and his help spent the past three years weeding out drought-affected trees. As with any farmer, a lack of rain hurt Meier's crop, and the family was forced to put in an irrigation system.

"But we've gotten through that now," Meier said. "We've removed all the trees affected, and it all recovered OK."

Up to seven years can be required to grow a sufficiently sized Christmas tree, and not every tree makes a good one, Meier said. Customers also should keep in mind fresh trees are at their healthiest and most beautiful after being displayed within about three weeks of their original cut from the field.

For that reason, he only sells trees directly to customers and does not ship them out for wholesale.

"Lots of people are not aware that when you have fresh-cut trees sold on a lot, they were probably cut several weeks before," he said. "I want our trees to be of the best quality and freshest, so we just keep with selling them locally."

The Meiers do branch out their business, however, in several ways, through participation in contests and donation programs.

A 10 1/2-foot-tall white pine from the farm will be taken to the Missouri governor's mansion in Jefferson City this week by the family because it was the winner of this year's search contest by the Missouri Christmas Tree Association. A class of elementary school students decorate the Capitol Christmas Tree once it is placed in the governor's mansion. The Meiers have won the contest several times, including 2012.

The farm sends Christmas trees to military personnel as part of the National Christmas Tree Association's Trees for Troops program. Meier said local donations made through the farm often prompt the sending of fresh live trees to members of the armed services, but the farm also sends trees on its own. Fed Ex delivers trees for free as a sponsor of the program. Since 2005, the association has sent more than 122,000 trees to soldiers, including more than 17,000 in 2013, Meier said.

eragan@semissourian.com

388-3632

Pertinent address:

2146 County Road 330, Jackson, MO