Keith Tree Farm

VARIETY for your TASTE

WE are UNIQUE in CENTRAL NEW YORK

"EASY-CUTTING" What's this? Some kind of gimmick?

Well, not exactly: you can cut your tree at waist height, or higher. Who wouldn't want to?

EASY CUTTING: You can cut many of our trees at waist-high, or higher. We've removed branches to make this easy for you, and made paint marks on some trees to show you where where to cut.. This is called "Pollard" cutting. You cut at a more comfortable height, and LEAVE ALL the BRANCHES ON the STUMP! (Below your cut). We'll turn one of those little branches into a new tree! The key is to leave all the branches undamaged below your cut. We are gradually transitioning to an all-Pollard farm. There are many advantages to this practice. See "POLLARDING" below, and in the GALLERY.
VARIETY: Our trees do not all look alike. We hand-shear them to create overall symmetry, but each has its own character. We shape them to enhance each tree's natural tendencies - you'll find every combination of tall, short, narrow, wide, open and sparse, densely limbed, steeply tapered, and gently tapered. We prefer a more natural appearance, and our regular customers agree. We do not try to make them all look alike as many big farms do. That would take all the fun out of choosing your own! If you enjoy "shopping around" instead of just grabbing one off the rack, we offer that experience. We are going to make some trees thicker, as some customers prefer.
GIANTS: We have many large trees up to 15 feet or more Same price as regular trees! Come and get 'em! You don't have to take the whole tree. They've all got a bare Pollard "waist", so you can cut the top out. See "GIANTS" below and in the GALLERY. You may shorten a giant to your liking!
SUPER GIANTS: We have some 20-30 foot trees that we sell to municipalities. Great Prices! Call or text.. Spruces, Balsam Fir. These usually require a flat-bed trailer or lalge truck. We have some badly shaped super giants that we sell to wreath makers CHEAP!. Balsam, Spruces, White Pine, Scoth Pine. YOU CHOOSE, WE CUT! Must call first!
SIMPLICITY: We are an an old-fashioned small, Cut-Your Own, no-frills Christmas tree farm. We have no special non-tree items nor bathrooms or other facilities yet, but we may add wreaths, kissing balls, etc. if we get customer interest.

THINGS YOU'LL WANT TO KNOW

Open (full service) every Fri. Sat. and Sun. after Thanksgiving through Dec 24. 9 AM-5 PM. Week days generally after 2 PM.
Before Thanksgiving or for other times: Text or call first! Texting is better! Be brief! We will reply by calling. (315) 228-8296 Full Service is not promised at these times.
FREE Tree baling, saws, twine, Fri-Sat-Sun. Giants cannot be baled!
All our trees are the same price, no mater the size.
Pre-cuts are all fresh: To maintain freshness we limit the pre-cuts to 16 at a time.
We are at 1500-1600 feet elevation: expect it to be colder with more snow.
We mow almost all weeds and burrs, but wear boots, and rough clothes.
SPECIES. We have experimented with many species. Below are the successful ones.
- White Spruce: Short needles, strong limbs, pleasant fragrance, color variation.
- Norway Spruce: Very similar to White Spruce, without the color variation..
- Balsam Fir: Short, soft needles, flexible listrong limbs, strongest fragrance.
- Meyer Spruce: Medium-length needles, quite prickly, unique bluish color, much like Blue Spruce. Some of our customers tell us their prickiness prevents cats from climbing. We cannot get any more Meyer Spruce! Mandatory Pollard cutting ONLY!
- Black Forrest Spruce: a subspecies of Norway Spruce, from a secret seed source. We expect to have some large enough by 2030.

CAUTION!

STAY ON PATHS, and stay away from all buildings, machinery, vehicles etc. OBEY POSTED SIGNS.
WANDS and FLAGGING indicate PLACES YOU MUST AVOID: woodchuck holes, stumps, steep banks, or other hazards. We cannot possibly mark all of them: watch where you're going, and step carefully.
PLEASE TRY NOT TO STEP on the hundreds of little seedlings in the rows!
ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK. If for any reason you have a problem or limitation with walking in the field and cutting/dragging a tree, bring help, and be sure to come at full-service times, and ask!
Do NOT drive vehicles into the lots!
NO AXES! Saws ONlLY We have many saws you can use. Ax cuts make a rougher cut that promotes disease and slows the Pollarding process. THANKS

SEE GALLERY BELOW!

PLEASE Consider putting in a word or photo on GOOGLE, YELP, Etc.! It is helping us in a big way! Got Any concerns?: Talk to us when you're here, and we'll fix it. We want you to have a good experience! That's what we're all about. We love those 5-star ratings And we want to keep it 5-star!!!

9382 Keith Road, North Brookfield NY 13418
315 228 8296

ADVANTAGES of POLLARD CUTTING
(regrowth from living stumps, after you cut.).

Makes it easier and more comfortable for you to cut.
Maintains greenery close to ground for small wildlife habitat. Small birds love to nest in the extra-thick growth on pollard stumps.
Living stumps maintain the mycorrizomal system (fungus/root symbiotic relationship that neighboring trees share) which help trees accept water and nutrients, and makes healthier soil for all plants.
Shades the ground around the stump to minimize weed growth.
Grows a new tree several years faster than a planted seedling because the stump's roots are established, and the higher pollard tree gets more sunlight.
Saves us time, effort, and fuel that we'd otherwise use in planting and mowing.
Provides stump branches that protect the main tree from deer: both antler rubbing and eating..
Allows us to replace each tree in a shorter time.
Allows sunlight to feed the stump limbs while allowing the upper tree to ventilate, which reduces fungus and moss growth.
Living Stumps keep producing oxygen and sequestering carbon continuously.
In recent years our seedling suppliers have reduced their inventory and reliability. By pollarding we can sustain our trees reliably, independent of suppliers.
Keeps our prices competitive for all the reasons above.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/coppice-farming-grows-christmas-trees-keep-giving-180971068/

https://modernfarmer.com/2022/12/stump-culture-christmas-tree/

WEED, PEST, and DISEASE CONTROL.
Our practices would almost qualify for Certified Organic status. Unlike many big commercial growers, we have never used pesticide, and we keep our herbicide use to a minimum - using it only where an individual weed directly threatens a small tree. We do this in spring before flowers come out, so as to protect pollinators. We let milkweeds thrive July- September to provide sustenance for the Monarch Butterflies. We are now mixing species in the rows to minimize the spread of disease and pests.

SEE PHOTO GALLERIES BELOW.

WHY REAL TREES are BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT:

https://www.newswise.com/articles/researchers-share-benefits-of-real-christmas-trees-tips-for-care

https://www.vice.com/en/article/real-christmas-trees-better-planet-fake-ones/

https://www.nature.org/en-us/magazine/magazine-articles/forest-carbon-101/

Growth of the Pollard trees, and the business..

ADVERTISING. Getting GOOGLE to put us up on the first page was worth the price. We got many new customers. We now realize that we tapped into a new customer base. Wow! We had young people who carried no cash.. We learned. Cash is prefered, but PayPal and Venmo are OK too.

POLLARD CUTTING. More people are learning the Pollard cutting process, and they are cooperating. THANK YOU! Who wouldn't prefer to cut a tree standing up, at waist height, instead of kneeling in the snow or wet grass? This pollard cutting venture is a success so far. As of Christmas 2025 nearly all of our trees are Pollard trees. Next year you'll see many more little limbs transitioning into main tree trunks. Take a look. We haven't worked out all the bugs yet, but we're learning a little every year. We'd rather have a 75% success rate with pollard cuttings than plant 500 tiny seedlings, and have to mow the grass like a golf course every week!.

A NEW DISEASE is damaging many mature spruces in our region. Fortunately, It qppears to affect only 25-footers and taller.

BALSAMS in 2025 customers took a lot of balsams.. If you want a balsam in 2026 maybe coming early in the season would be a good idea...

JEWETTS CHEESE HOUSE

Rare Aged Cheese (up to 28 years) and much more. 10 miles SW. 934 Earlville Road CLOSED Saturdays. OPEN Sundays www.Jewett'sCheeseHouse.com

WATERVILLE STANDARD BAKERY

Superb Croissants, Scones, etc. Very popular in the morning. Opens 8 AM. ( on weekends. Get there early. 7 miles North. 128 E Main (Rte 12) Waterville. www.facebook.com › The-Waterville-Standard-Bakery

KRIEMHILD DAIRY FARMS KUPBOARD

Grass-fed Gourmet butter, many other dairy products, meats, deserts, and much more. Local sources. Self-serve at the Kupboard. 14 miles SW from us. 1093 Route 12B, Hamilton Pronounced "cream-hilled" www.kriemhilddairy.com

HEARTHSTONE BAKERY

Excellent artisanal breads and many other baked goods. Store in Cazenovia. 30 Miles West. Products available in many local stores. https://www.heartstonebakery.com/

HUDDLE FARMS Village Market

Farm-fresh produce, groceries, meats and cheeses, much more. Lunch Cafe. W-F 10-6 Sat. 10-2. Cafe 11-2 7 miles North. 110 E Main St Waterville. www.4cornersfoodcoop.com facebook.com/4 cornersfoodcoop

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