Farming for Christmas: Family-owned Christmas tree farm provides holiday magic

Southeast Missourians are no strangers to the farming lifestyle. Living life by the sweat of your brow to provide for one’s family and community has been a respected staple in this area for generations. There is a sense of magic and wonder that comes from planting a seed in the ground, nourishing that seed and seeing life spring from it. The Meiers are a farming family that provides the Southeast Missouri area with a different kind of magic: the Christmas spirit.

The Meier Horseshoe Pines Christmas Tree Farm right outside Jackson was started by Stephen and Teresa Meier in 1981. The couple purchased 19 acres right next to the farm Stephen grew up on and began their farming life.

“My great-great grandfather established a farm here when he migrated from Germany over 160 years ago, and each generation since then has done their best to make the land productive,” Stephen says. “The idea of fulfilling the dreams of my parents is a dream come true for me.”

Although the Christmas tree farm has grown into a thriving business for the Meiers, the idea for their family endeavor sprung from one surprising word: sinkholes.

“Southeast Missouri has a lot of sinkholes. We wanted to have horses and cattle, but sinkholes and cattle are not a good combination,” Teresa says. “We were trying to think of something we could do with this couple acres of field. So, we talked with a forester, and he said what about planting some kind of tree. That’s how we kind of decided on Christmas trees. We knew that the combination of the Christmas trees would definitely help hold the soil.”

In their first year of planting, Stephen and Teresa planted approximately 100 trees over two acres. The Christmas tree farm now takes up a sprawling 22 acres with a little more than 1,000 trees on each acre of land. The farm has its own gift shop filled with Christmas decorations, ornaments and hand-made wreaths fashioned from the trees grown on the farm. Visitors can even take a tour of the tree farm on a horse-drawn carriage.

Much like the trees grown at Horseshoe Pines, the Meiers have laid down deep roots in the Jackson area. Stephen and Teresa have three sons who all live in the region and have helped them build their tree farm business into what it is today. The Meiers’ oldest son is a diesel mechanic, the second is a certified welder and the third is a machinist.

“Between all those boys and their talents and my husband’s woodworking talents … we built from the ground up,” Teresa says.

The holiday season can be a busy time for the Meiers, who typically sell approximately 800 to 900 Christmas trees in a single season, but they still manage to hold their own Christmas brunch tradition each year.

“That’s kind of the niche that we’ve selected for our family, as far as, you know, celebrating Christmas, because then they’ve got other places to go the rest of the day,” Teresa says. “But it’s a good start to the morning. It’s not too early, they can all get there, and the [grand]kids are excited, and they’re not worn out yet. So it works well for us.”

The joy the Meiers get out of the Horseshoe Pines Christmas Tree Farm comes from the excitement of their visitors. They hope every one of their guests finds the perfect tree for their home.

Kelsey Roth of Cape Girardeau found the tree farm two years ago when she and her partner decided to pick out and purchase her own live tree for the first time. Roth’s first charming experience at Horseshoe Pines made her want to make revisiting the farm each year a recurring tradition.

“We were able to try some of their homemade sugar cookies and then take a wagon ride pulled by Belgian horses out to the Christmas tree fields,” Roth said. “We had a great first experience there two years ago and are counting down the days until this year’s trip. They also have great hospitality!”

By serving their community through the tree farm, the Meier family hopes they provide Southeast Missourians with a little bit of Christmas joy when the holidays come around each year. With the help of their growing family, they believe the farm will be a success for years to come.

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What do the tree experts have to say about proper live Christmas tree maintenance?

Here is a list of tips straight from Teresa Meier:

1. Purchase a tree stand that can hold a large amount of water.

2. Keep the tree watered. An eight- to nine-foot tree can go through a gallon of water in a day, so check the tree stand twice a day to make sure it is full of water.

3. Don’t put cleaning products or preservatives in the water, especially if you have pets who may drink out of the tree stand. The preservatives can actually dry out the tree.

4. Don’t put the tree in front of any heat sources such as a fireplace or window unless you plan on keeping the curtains closed. The sun could burn the tree.

5. Put the tree in water as soon as you get home. Once the tree has been cut, it needs to be able to drink through the cut. If the tree cannot drink, then that cut will close up, and the tree will need to be taken down or recut.