You can’t cut down a good tree – Alexandria Echo Press

GARFIELD – Given the drought of the last few years, it’s been a tough time for the aspiring (pun intended) Christmas tree farmer. But the wet spring proved to be a blessing at Centennial Hills Tree Farm, the brainchild of Jamie and Miranda Wendlandt.

“We are in the early stages of arboriculture, so many of our plants are young transplants at this point,” says Miranda. “The last two years have been very dry and it has been very difficult to keep them alive because we don’t irrigate. Last year the rain actually did a really good job of keeping our transplants alive and healthy.”

Centennial Hills Tree Farm/Facebook

Even though “depending on the species, most people don’t like wet feet,” the Wendlandt trees seemed to appreciate the heavy rains in June this year. The couple has owned Centennial Hills near Garfield since 2019, but they’re still learning a lot about the business. “We attend Minnesota Christmas Tree Association meetings to learn from more experienced farmers,” Miranda says. “Soil pH has a lot to do with it – there’s a lot that goes into it.”

At some point, the Wendlandts hope to perform a “choose and cut” operation, but that is still three to four years in the future. In the meantime, they operate a tree plot and bring in trees from other Minnesota growers. But the Wendlandts have big plans. “Yeah, we’d definitely like to build it out like a Hallmark Christmas tree farm,” laughs Miranda.