Business Overview:

If spending time with Mother Nature beats an office job for you any day, consider learning how to start a tree farm business, a fast-growing “green” enterprise. There are many types of trees and services you should consider providing when starting a tree farm business. Since gardening and home improvement has become such a popular pastime for many homeowners, unique and beautiful trees are really in demand. These horticultural products can be quite lucrative, especially if you offer very healthy specimens at competitive prices. You can fill your land with a variety of trees that grow well in your local climate and that seem to be popular choices for gardeners, landscapers, and business owners. If you want to offer more of an experience on your farm, you might consider growing Christmas trees. When learning about how to start a Christmas tree farm, you will want to think about the type of trees that do well in your climate, and be sure to plant those and keep them pruned in the popular triangle shape for the Christmas season. You might also like to offer the “cut-your-own” experience to your customers. This growing trend can bring in many customers who might also purchase other things you offer like concession items, crafts, or plants. No matter which type of tree crops you decide to plant, you can feel good about a business like this. With this business idea, not only are you helping to beautify the world, you’re also doing a good thing for the environment.

A Day in the Life of a Tree Farm Business Owner:

This article brought to you by Business Ideas! If you enjoyed this article, make sure to subscribe to the Business Ideas Newsletter to get ideas sent straight to your email inbox.When you’ve got a crop that’s ready for harvest, you will either seek out buyers—wholesalers, retailers, drive-by customers—or you will bring your customers in to cut their Christmas trees and spend some time experiencing your farm. If you’ve done your job well and your trees are thriving, you will want to keep up with your soil, irrigation, pruning, and upkeep on a daily basis in order to keep your business growing in the coming years. You will also want to keep an eye on your finances, and on the ever-tricky weather.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be homeowners and business owners looking to purchase trees to enhance their landscape. If you’ve built a strong reputation, customers will flock to your farm for their horticultural needs. If yours is a Christmas tree farm, your customers might include families looking for their perfect tree for the Christmas season. It’s up to your farm to have a good selection of trees, and to provide a good seasonal experience for them.

What You Need to Start:

• A plot of land as large as you are able to farm
• Basic farming equipment including irrigation capabilities
• A business license
• A pricing schedule for your trees

The Good:

• You can operate a business you truly love.
• You will be providing an environmentally friendly service to your area.
• The business itself can be very profitable.
• There are many ways to hire employees and build your business.

The Bad:

• Your business is at the mercy of Mother Nature.
• This not really a part-time business—your trees will need your care daily.

Resources:

• American Tree Farm System
• National Christmas Tree Association
• Bureau of Labor Statistics on Forest and Conservation Workers
• Wikipedia on Tree Farms

Technorati Tags: how to start a christmas tree farm, how to start a tree farm business, starting a tree farm business