SMALL FAMILY BUSINESS THAT A 93-YEAR-OLD OWNER STARTED FROM SCRATCH.
♪ KAREN: CHRISTMAS TREES ARE LIKE MINISKIRTS AND SKINNY JEANS.
THEY GO IN AND OUT OF FASHION.
♪ >> WE PLANTED A FIELD FULL OF SCOTCH PINES.
PEOPLE BOUGHT THEM COME ALONE TO THEM, THEN FOR FIVE YEARS LATER WE COULDN’T SELL ONE.
KAREN: MANSON DONNA HAY HAS BEEN ON -- DONAGHEY HAS BEEN ON TOP OF THIS FOR THREE YEARS PRETTY GROWS MOSTLY FIRS.
>> THIS IS A FRASER FOR.
KAREN: HE KNEW NOTHING ABOUT CHRISTMAS TREE’S WHEN HE BOUGHT THE 100 ACRE PROPERTY.
THE FORMER HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL GOT A QUICK EDUCATION, SURPRISED AT HIS FIRST ENCOUNTER ON THE LAND.
>> MAINLY ROCKS.
NOT MUCH TOPSOIL.
♪ KAREN: BEFORE THE SHOVEL COULD HIT THE DIRT, HE AND HIS FAMILY HAD TO REMOVE THOUSANDS OF ROCKS BY HAND.
>> I STARTED PLANTING IN 1971.
KAREN: AND SOLD HIS FIRST CHRISTMAS TREE IN 1980.
SINCE THEN GENERATIONS OF FAMILIES HAVE VISITED THE TREE FARM EVERY CHRISTMAS TO CUT DOWN THEIR HOLIDAY TREE.
>> THE WOMEN ARE MUCH MORE ADEPT BECAUSE THEY ARE GOOD SHOPPERS.
WHEN THE MEN COME INTO BY TREES, THEY REALIZE THE PATRIOTS ARE PLAYING ON SUNDAY AT 1:00 SO THEY PICK THE FIRST TREE THEY SEE AND SAY THAT IS A GOOD ONE.
♪ KAREN: IT TAKES ABOUT SEVEN YEARS TO BECOME A "GOOD ONE.
EACH APRIL THE FAMILY PLANTS 2000 TREES.
>> THESE ARE NOT CHRISTMAS TREE’S.
-- CHRISTMAS TREES.
THESE ARE TRANSPLANT TREES.
KAREN: BY SUMMER THEY ARE GETTING INTO THE TRIANGULAR SHAPE.
SO IS THIS ONE READY TO GO?
CAN THIS BE CUT DOWN?
>> SOME PEOPLE CUT A FOUR-FOOT PLACED GREAT WE DON’T TELL THEM WHERE TO CUT OR THEY CAN CUT ANY PLACE THEY WANT.
KAREN: MOST OF THESE ARE FRASER FIRS, THE CURRENT FASHION DARLING.
>> THE FRASER IS A GOOD ONE BECAUSE THEY OPEN AT THE RIGHT TIME IN THIS CLIMATE.
THEY COME FROM THE MARK -- MOUNTAINS OF NORTH CAROLINA.
THESE HAVE SPREAD HOUT AND TAKEN OVER THE NORTHEAST AND THE INDUSTRY.
KAREN: YOU WILL ALSO SEE WHITE SPRUCES.
THEY DO WELL IN WET AREAS.
>> THIS IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THE TWO KINDS OF TREES I HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT.
THIS IS A FRASER FOR.
THIS IS A LIGHT SPRUCE.
NOTICE HOW SHORT THE NEEDLES ARE, HOW FULL THE TREE IS.
THEY ARE LONGER.
SOME PEOPLE SAY PRETTIER.
KAREN: TREE FARMERS ARE ALWAYS TRY TO COME UP WITH NEW VARIETIES.
HERE IS A FULL SOME FOR, A COMBO.
>> THESE ARE UNIQUE.
EVERYONE IS TRYING OUT NEW TREES TO SEE IF THEY ARE LIKED BETTER THAN WHAT THEY HAVE.
KAREN: DONAGHEY TREE FARM FIRST SOLD SOME FIRST LAST YEAR.
KAREN: WHAT MAKES THIS DIFFERENT?
>> THAT IS WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT BECAUSE THERE ARE NOT MANY.
THAT IS HAPPENING ALL OVER.
THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE THAT PLANT DIFFERENT KINDS OF TREES TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
KAREN: HE SHOWS US HOW TO SPOT A GOOD TREE, TURNING HIS EXPERT EYE TO THIS EIGHT WHAT TREE.
>> LET’S LOOK AND EVALUATE.
ARE THERE ANY HOLES?
WE ARE LOOKING AT THE SHAPE ALL THE TIME.
THE NEEDLES LOOKING GOOD, NO BROWN NEEDLES, WHATEVER.
THAT IS A GOOD TREE.
IT IS A NICE TREE.
KAREN: IT TAKES THE WHOLE FAMILY, THREE DAUGHTERS, SONS IN LAW AND GRANDCHILDREN TO PULL OFF THE CHRISTMAS MAGIC, SELLING 650 TREES A YEAR.
>> IT IS A FAMILY EXPERIENCE.
IT HAS BEEN THE GLUE THAT HAS KEPT OUR FAMILY TOGETHER.
KAREN: HIS WIFE, NEVER FAR FROM HIS THOUGHTS.
SHE WAS THE ONE WITH THE GREEN THUMB.
>> I ALWAYS SAY SHE DID EVERYTHING BETTER EXCEPT PLAYING THE PIANO.
♪ KAREN: ALTHOUGH THIS IS NO SWAN SONG.
AT 93 HE HAS DECIDED TO TURN THE REINS OF HIS CHRISTMAS TREE FARM OVER TO HIS KIDS.
>> I FEEL OLD.
THAT IS THE MAIN REASON.
I ALSO, I WOULD SAY MAYBE THIS ISN’T THE PLACE FOR IT, BUT WHEN MY WIFE PASSED, IT CHANGED FOR ME A LITTLE BIT.
IT WAS SOMETHING.
WE WERE ALWAYS I GUESS ALWAYS IN LOVE, ALWAYS MARRIED.
WE NEVER SAW THAT.
WHEN I LOST HER, IT WASN’T QUITE THE SAME.
KAREN: SO YOU WILL NEVER -- NO LONGER FIND HIM TACKLING THE DAY TO DAY CHORES, BUT HE WILL BE THERE WHEN YOU COME WITH A SMILE AND HAND SHARING IN THE CHRISTMAS TRADITION.
♪