This Month's Featured Destination:
Delp Christmas Tree Farm

Guessing the Nine Year Forecast !

“We have the best customers that any business can have,” said Tony Delp. “When folks are here, they are upbeat and positive. Singing and just having a great time.”

These great customers are one of the reasons that Tony and his wife Linda enjoy the business, the Delp Christmas Tree Farm, started by Tony’s father Cecil in 1959. The farm, located in St. John, Kansas, is believed to be one of the first, if not the first of its kind in the state.

Tony seems to really enjoy the Christmas tree business, but he says it is pretty tough trying to guess his sales nine years in advance:

“I’m trying to guess what kind of trees people will want to buy nine years from now, and how many trees they’ll buy,” he said. “Then I’ll estimate how many trees of each variety I will need to plant today in order to end up with the right number in nine years when the trees reach full growth.”

“Dad started with 17,500 scotch pines, which he planted each of the first two years. That’s about 10 acres. He had a cousin that cut trees out of the woods in Michigan, and that’s what gave him the idea,” Tony said. “There were ponderosas growing here in the shelter belts, so he figured it would work.”

Over the almost 50 years since the first trees were planted, the farm’s harvest has reflected the family’s needs and abilities. At one time, when Tony was on the farm full time with three teenage boys, they were raising as many 300,000 scotch pines on most of the 200 acres, plus nearly 30 acres of shade trees for landscaping. Today, the boys are raised and gone, and Tony maintains about 25 acres of trees, this year introducing a new field with a variety of firs and other specialty pines. The remainder of his farm is now kept in corn and wheat.

“We are opening the new field this year with several more varieties of trees,” said Tony. “We are growing Southwestern White Pine, Douglas Fir, Caanan Fir, White Fir, Concolor, Eastern White Pine, and Austrian Pine. We still have some Scotch Pine, but we are growing less of those. Most of the trees are choose and cut your own, but we also have pre-cuts, including some Frazier Firs that weren’t grown here.”

The Christmas Tree Farm Experience

The main attraction today is not only the tree, but also the experience. Families arrive together in great spirits, and are taken into the field on a tractor-drawn hayrack. Most families spend a good deal of time finding exactly the right tree. Tony has tagged the trees so the guests know what kind of tree it is, and how much it costs.

When the perfect tree is located, the guests cut it down themselves and haul it to the roadside. Staff will help as needed, and take the family and tree on the wagon back to the shaker. The shaker vibrates the dead and loose needles out of the tree and then the tree is netted for the ride home.

But practically no one leaves right away. Part of the fun of this day is spent by the fireplace in the main office, where guests are served free apple cider. There is also a large barrel of peanuts in the shell. Folks munch on the peanuts, while tossing the shells into the fire. A sound system carries holiday carols in and outside the building.

 

 

 

 

 

Linda sells wreaths, swags, tree stands, candy canes and a few ornaments, while serving as hostess for their friendly guests. They also sell flocked trees in a variety of colors, including purple, for K-State fans, or red and blue for Kansas University fans.

Read more about the Business Side of Delp Christmas Tree Farm

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Can Farmers Make Agriculture Zoning Work for Us?

Around the country, state and local governments are asked to define their local zoning to include further uses for housing developments and shopping centers. Too often, these accumulating ordinances tend to ignore and often restrict the farmers’ use of his land.

Jane Eckert, who has worked with the Kansas Agritourism Council for several years, is currently conducting a survey of farmers throughout North America regarding zoning issues. Her objective is to get a better grasp of what’s happening, and then to communicate with farmers and legislators those decisions that have been successful.

If zoning issues have been holding you back, or if you have already solved these problems, Jane would like to hear from you.

Please click here, to go online and complete this important survey on Agriculture Zoning.

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