source: Farm and Food Report
When Bob Mason and Cora Greer planted the first row of Scots Pine seedlings on their Kenaston-area farm in 1990, they knew they were embarking on a long-term project.
"We had to wait seven years before we could start selling them, and we had to cull a few where we had planted them too densely," admits Mason. "This has been a learning experience and quite a ride."
At first, Mason would sell the trees from the back of his truck at a Moose Jaw mall, then in Regina, from another mall. Then he discovered the "joys" of competitive marketing arrangements. When the anchor tenant grocer decided to sell Christmas trees as well, the contract with Mason Family Farm was terminated.
"I asked myself if this was really what I wanted to do. I was away from my family for the whole month. I found that difficult. Let's see if there isn't another way to do this?"
Welcome to Mason Family Farm's you-choose Christmas tree operation, where 15 acres of trees await you, four kilometres north of Kenaston. Just look for the signs on Highway 11. You'll find about 1,000 trees per acre in the plantation. All those ready to cut are Scots Pine. There is also a generation of Balsam Fir in the works that is not quite mature enough yet. As Mason will tell you, there are several obstacles to growing trees commercially in a Plains setting:
"The wide open spaces are not your friend, because wind desiccation takes such a toll on the trees during winter -- but Scots pines do remarkably well," Mason says. "As a result of the recent drought, we have felt compelled to set up drip irrigation for all new plantings. Balsam fir require special mycorrhizae fungi that takes some time to establish itself, as they are not endemic to southern prairie soils. They grow, but it takes longer initially."
However, the rewards are satisfying at many levels. "Christmas time is generally a happy time for everyone. People come to your farm with big wide smiles. They're in good spirits, and they've come here for the whole experience of cutting their tree as a family."
Mason explains how many will easily spend a couple of hours at a time on their property on a weekend. "They bring the whole family out; they drive to the plantation and they start looking for the right tree. We tell them what to look for and they use the bow saw we loan them. Sometimes they'll even bring refreshments and a snack with them, and they will have their own tail-gate party at our place."
"When they have their tree, we invite them into the kitchen for cocoa and cookies. We even take their photographs. We realize that what we sell them is a lot more than the tree -- it is the whole experience of being out here for a while. They take home the tree and the memories of great family outing."
One might say that the Mason Family Farm is in the business of joy and not be too from the truth. Most of their guests come from a 60-kilometre radius, so this appeals not only to city dwellers, but to everyone.
"If you look at it this way, there is a lot more room for growth in this industry." Mason also happens to be the President of the Saskatchewan Christmas Tree Growers' Association Co-Operative, a small group of industry enthusiasts who hope this business will really take off over the next few years.
"This is not for everybody. You have to love trees and people. The required capital investment is not that great. But there is a fairly high attrition rate among our members because they might not have realized how long it takes to get a crop."
For Bob Mason and Cora Greer, there is no turning back. They have just moved a barn into the farmyard to accommodate the weekend crowds enjoying the cocoa and cookies event, says Mason:
"The place turns into a bit of a zoo around this time of the year, but we love every bit of it."
When Bob Mason and Cora Greer planted the first row of Scots Pine seedlings on their Kenaston-area farm in 1990, they knew they were embarking on a long-term project.
"We had to wait seven years before we could start selling them, and we had to cull a few where we had planted them too densely," admits Mason. "This has been a learning experience and quite a ride."
At first, Mason would sell the trees from the back of his truck at a Moose Jaw mall, then in Regina, from another mall. Then he discovered the "joys" of competitive marketing arrangements. When the anchor tenant grocer decided to sell Christmas trees as well, the contract with Mason Family Farm was terminated.
"I asked myself if this was really what I wanted to do. I was away from my family for the whole month. I found that difficult. Let's see if there isn't another way to do this?"
Welcome to Mason Family Farm's you-choose Christmas tree operation, where 15 acres of trees await you, four kilometres north of Kenaston. Just look for the signs on Highway 11. You'll find about 1,000 trees per acre in the plantation. All those ready to cut are Scots Pine. There is also a generation of Balsam Fir in the works that is not quite mature enough yet. As Mason will tell you, there are several obstacles to growing trees commercially in a Plains setting:
"The wide open spaces are not your friend, because wind desiccation takes such a toll on the trees during winter -- but Scots pines do remarkably well," Mason says. "As a result of the recent drought, we have felt compelled to set up drip irrigation for all new plantings. Balsam fir require special mycorrhizae fungi that takes some time to establish itself, as they are not endemic to southern prairie soils. They grow, but it takes longer initially."
However, the rewards are satisfying at many levels. "Christmas time is generally a happy time for everyone. People come to your farm with big wide smiles. They're in good spirits, and they've come here for the whole experience of cutting their tree as a family."
Mason explains how many will easily spend a couple of hours at a time on their property on a weekend. "They bring the whole family out; they drive to the plantation and they start looking for the right tree. We tell them what to look for and they use the bow saw we loan them. Sometimes they'll even bring refreshments and a snack with them, and they will have their own tail-gate party at our place."
"When they have their tree, we invite them into the kitchen for cocoa and cookies. We even take their photographs. We realize that what we sell them is a lot more than the tree -- it is the whole experience of being out here for a while. They take home the tree and the memories of great family outing."
One might say that the Mason Family Farm is in the business of joy and not be too from the truth. Most of their guests come from a 60-kilometre radius, so this appeals not only to city dwellers, but to everyone.
"If you look at it this way, there is a lot more room for growth in this industry." Mason also happens to be the President of the Saskatchewan Christmas Tree Growers' Association Co-Operative, a small group of industry enthusiasts who hope this business will really take off over the next few years.
"This is not for everybody. You have to love trees and people. The required capital investment is not that great. But there is a fairly high attrition rate among our members because they might not have realized how long it takes to get a crop."
For Bob Mason and Cora Greer, there is no turning back. They have just moved a barn into the farmyard to accommodate the weekend crowds enjoying the cocoa and cookies event, says Mason:
"The place turns into a bit of a zoo around this time of the year, but we love every bit of it."
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