>> ALICE AND I ARE BOTH FROM CINCINNATI.
CINCINNATI. WE HAD MET, GONE OUT BRIEFLY,
GOT MARRIED.
GOT MARRIED. MARRIED 33 YEARS SINCE.
ONE SUNDAY MORNING BEFORE CHURCH
I WAS WATCHING A CBS SHOW, ROGER
KURALT AND HE WAS VISITING A
CHRISTMAS TREE FARM IN MAINE.
WE THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING
GOOD TO LOOK INTO.
>> SOUNDED LIKE A LOT OF FUN.
SO WE GOT THE SEEDLINGS AND
PLANTED THEM.
PLANTED THEM. >> THEN WE STARTED SELLING OUR
FIRST TREES IN 1990 WHEN THEY
WERE FINAL WILL HE LARGE ENOUGH
TO SELL.
TO SELL. WE SOLD 37 THE FIRST YEAR
WITHOUT ADVERTISING.
WITHOUT ADVERTISING. >> WE LEARNED A LOT.
AND THEN IT BECAME MORE OF A
JOB, A FUN JOB.
>> WE'RE LOOKING FOR WAYS TO
DIFFERENTIATE OURSELVES FROM
OTHER FARMS.
OTHER FARMS. WE HAVE VERY NICE TREES HERE.
A LOT OF OTHER FARMS DO, TOO.
WE ENDED UP GETTING TWO REINDEER
FROM AN EXOTIC ANIMAL GROWER IN
MICHIGAN AND OUR SALES WENT UP
OVER 400% THAT YEAR BY COMING
OUT TO SEE THE REINDEER.
>> THEY WERE SO POPULAR THAT IT
JUST KIND OF GREW.
NOW WE HAVE 15 REINDEER ON OUR
FARM.
FARM. THE FUN PART IS SEEING THE
EXCITEMENT IN THE EYES OF THE
CHILDREN BECAUSE THEY REALLY ARE
REAL.
REAL. YOU GET TO HEAR THEM, YOU GET TO
TOUCH THEM.
TOUCH THEM. THEIR MOUTHS ARE OPEN LIKE, OH,
MY GOODNESS.
MY GOODNESS. IT'S A REAL REINDEER.
>> THE NEATEST THING IS SEEING
THE LITTLE KIDS WHEN THEY GET
HERE, THEY RUN STRAIGHT OUT TO
THE REINDEER PEN AND THEY KNOW
THE REINDEER'S NAMES BY HEART
FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
THEY NAMED EVERY ONE OF THEM.
IT STICKS WITH THEM.
SO THEY'VE GOT MEMORIES,
LIFELONG MEMORIES, OF COMING
HERE JUST LIKE WE HAVE THOSE
MEMORIES OF THEM COMING HERE.
>> I THINK THAT THERE'S A
CONNECTION BETWEEN ME AND THE
ANIMALS.
ANIMALS. THEY EACH HAVE THEIR OWN
PERSONALITY.
PERSONALITY. YOU RAISE THEM ALL THE SAME AND
THEY'RE ALL DIFFERENT.
>> HEALTH-WISE, OUR REINDEER ARE IN EXCELLENT HEALTH.
WE TREAT THEM VERY WELL.
TRAINING THEM -- THEY HAVE TENDONS IN THEIR LEGS.
UP ON THE ROOFTOP, CLICK, CLICK,
CLICK, THAT'S WHERE THAT COMES
FROM.
FROM. >> THE ANKLE CLICKING IS THEIR
TENDONS SNAPPING ON THEIR ANKLE
BONES.
BONES. THAT'S REALLY WHAT THAT IS FOR
THE ANIMAL.
THE ANIMAL. FOR US IT'S WHAT WE HEAR ON OUR
ROOFTOP.
I THINK I REALLY DO JUST ENJOY INTERACTING WITH THEM.
IT'S JUST VERY RELAXING, VERY CALMING FOR ME TO BE OUT HERE
WITH THE ANIMALS, AND I GET
LOST.
LOST. I KIND OF FORGET WHAT ELSE I WAS
SUPPOSED TO BE DOING THAT DAY
AND JUST SPEND TIME WITH MY
ANIMALS.
ANIMALS. THIS IS MY RELEASE, I GUESS, MY
THERAPY, MY QUIET TIME.
I REALLY ENJOY THAT BOND I HAVE
WITH THE REINDEER, AND I JUST
LOVE TO SHARE IT WITH EVERYBODY.
>> BECOME GREAT FRIENDS WITH A LOT OF OUR CUSTOMERS.
A LOT OF THEM SAY THAT WE'VE
BECOME PART OF THEIR CHRISTMAS
TRADITION.
TRADITION. THEY'VE BECOME PART OF OUR
TRADITION.
TRADITION. >> BUT JUST TO SEE THESE
ANIMALS, THEY'RE JUST MAJESTIC.
IT'S MAGIC WHEN YOU SEE THEM. IT'S CHRISTMAS MAGIC.
>> SO YOU'RE NOT COMING OUT JUST
TO GET THE TREE.
OUR PHILOSOPHY IS ANYBODY CAN
SELL YOU A TREE.
WE'RE TRYING TO SELL YOU AN
EXPERIENCE OF GETTING THE TREE.
>> A REALLY HEART WARMING
EXPERIENCE TO ADD SOME TRUE JOY
TO THE LIFE OF THESE PEOPLE.