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Memories in the making
Jim and Karen Bowen, owners of the Bowen's Christmas Tree Farm near Pittsburg, have been investing in the memories of area families for more than two decades.
"We're making memories," Karen said. "People come out here and make memories, and they remember the fun of it. Kids come out here and run around for hours (looking for the right tree). Especially when it has snowed, it's fun to see the families out there having snowball fights and having a good time together while they look for a tree." Making the trip to the tree farm even more of a memory, the Bowens often take customers on hay rides through the Christmas tree farm, according to Jim.
"Weather permitting, we will run a tractor trailer filled with hay bales through the rows of trees," he said. "Some like to ride out and walk back, but the last two years we've been so wet, we haven't been able to run it." According to Karen, the area couple goes the extra mile to provide the best trees possible. In addition, they make sure the trees they have look healthy even after they have been cut and placed on display. Although when visiting the Bowen's tree farm, customers who want to cut down their own trees only have the option of cutting down Scotch Pine and Austrian Pine trees because those are the only types of trees grown on the farm, Karen said the farm also offers pre-cut Fraser Fir, Balsam Fir, Douglas Fir and White Pine trees. Karen added that customers need to think about what type of decorations they will be hanging on the trees before making their tree selection. For instance, customers who wish to purchase White Pine trees will need to use light weight ornaments such as ribbons and berries to decorate their trees because the branches on the White Pine are not sturdy enough to uphold heavy ornaments.
In order to keep the pre-cut trees healthy and vibrant, the Bowens cut an inch off the bottom of each tree they order. After the bottoms have been freshly cut, the trees are placed in buckets of water that help keep them healthy and well-hydrated. If the Bowens did not cut the bottoms of the trees before setting them in the water, the trees would not soak up as much water as they needed.
In addition to purchasing Christmas trees at The Bowen's Christmas Tree Farm, customers can also buy Christmas ornaments and decorations such as Christmas wreaths made from real trees.
According to Christmas tree farm customer Tracy Happs, Joplin, she and her family have been cutting down their own Christmas tree at tree farms for many years. Many of those years, the family's tree came from the Bowen's Christmas Tree Farm, she said.
"We always cut down a tree," Happs said, "been doing it for 13 years. It's a tradition. I've been doing it since I was little." After customers cut down their trees at the Bowen's Christmas Tree Farm, the trees are placed on Christmas tree shakers in order to relieve the tree of any loose needles or limbs. Next the trees are run through a special machine that wraps the trees in a plastic netting, preparing them for transport.
According to Karen, the most popular tree that is grown on the farm is the Scotch Pine trees, but out of the pre-cut trees, more customers purchase the Fraser Fir than the other types of trees.
The Bowen's 15-acre Christmas tree adventure began 29 years ago. After visiting with a friend who had a Christmas tree farm in Topeka, the Bowens decided they were going to open their own Christmas tree farm -- an undertaking that would not happen over night, according to Jim.
Before planting any Christmas trees, they had to complete a great amount of research, Jim said.
"You got to know a lot in this business," he said. "When I started out, we did a lot of research. We traveled to various tree farms and talked to county extension agents." Even after they planted their first crop of trees, the Bowens were not able to reap a harvest right away, as it took about six years for the trees to grow tall enough to sell them, he said. The first year the Bowens were able to sell the trees they did not earn a profit, as the money they made only helped reimburse them for the equipment and chemicals they had purchased to harvest the trees.
"It was probably the third year of selling before we brought in a profit," Jim said.
However, today, it seems the Bowens hard work has paid off as the tree farm that in the beginning sold about 100 trees a year, now sells about 500 to 600 trees every year. In fact, in 2008, the Bowen's Christmas Tree Farm was able to provide the Christmas tree that was on display in the Kansas Governor's mansion, according to Jim.
For more information about Christmas trees, visit the National Christmas Tree Association at www.christmastree.org.