“How hard can it be to grow Christmas trees?” asked Eric Watne. He found out there is more to it than he espected over the past eight years as co-owner of Clark Farm in Tiverton, RI. Eric is now the President of the RI Christmas Tree Growers Association.
Purchasing a neglected Christmas Tree farm was exciting for novice growers, Eric and Cat Watne. The founder of the Clarks Christmas Tree Farm had retired and moved away in the late 1990s. The next owner neglected most trees completely. Other trees had been shaved to maintain their overall size. Tree trunk diameter grew thicker every year. Eric said when his staff cut the thickest trunks by hand their arm would be useless for the next hour. The Watnes eventually used chain saws - until the old, thick-trunked trees were sold. Now, handsaws maintain the stillness of a winter day in the country. [Read more here.]
Photos provided by Clarks Christmas Tree Farm.