|
For about two and a half decades, Charles and Pat Sanders have sold thousands of Christmas trees to families throughout Arkansas from their farm on Arkansas 298 near Benton.  Daisy, an 8-year-old Great Dane, stands watch while her family, Patty and 2-year-old Ivey James, are helped by Pat Sanders at the Homestead Christmas Tree Farm on Arkansas 298 near Benton. Pat and Charles Sanders are closing the business after 26 successful years. (Courier photo by Matt Burks)
Despite enormous success, the couple said they are ready to “hang it up” and officially retire their Homestead Christmas Tree Farm on Sunday, Dec. 21.
On Friday, which was opening day for the 2008 holiday season, the Sanders gave letters to families who annually buy their Christmas trees from them, and to new families making the trip to the popular farm with the red caboose.
“There comes a time in everyone’s life when changes have to be made,” the letter reads. “After 26 years of building a business with valued friends and customers, we regretfully announce that this is our last season.”
The Sanders, in their mid-60s, plan to retire to a new lake home in Hot Springs. Pat Sanders said it was a difficult decision to close the farm that has provided “so many memories for so many families,” but she said she also is excited about enjoying retirement.
“It’s kind of bittersweet,” she said, “but we have a motor home, so we are going to travel and do some fishing.”
The Sanders have two grown daughters, Renee Sanders and Patty Sanders Bottoms. Pat Sanders said her children realize that running a successful Christmas Tree Farm takes a lot of hard work and dedication. She said the job requires work beyond just the holidays.
“It’s a lot of hard work,” Pat Sanders said. “These trees have to be sheered three times each growing season. It can be a year around job if you want to grow a good product and give full service.”
The Sanders have been helped through the years by numerous volunteers, and by a family friend Fred Trowell, 65, of Little Rock.
“I am going to miss it,” Trowell said. “I helped them start it years ago and started helping them again for the past several years. It has just been really great to work with them.”
Renee Sanders still helps them each year, taking payments and offering treats from inside the red caboose.
“I was 11 or 12 years old when we started the farm,” Renee said. “I am happy that they will get to enjoy activities with their motor home, but we are going to miss it out here and miss seeing the customers. It was a lot of fun watching them have a good time.”
The red caboose, which is for sale for $4,500, use to be the home of Choo-Choo BBQ in Benton and is one of the main attractions with the children, Pat Sanders said. She said there have been hundreds of children who have had their picture taken at the caboose.
The Sanders also are selling a Kubota tractor and utility trailers. They have already sold the land, which will soon become a cow farm.
The tree farm started in 1982 with seeds and one acre of land. The farm later produced thousands of trees annually and covered 12 acres.
“We were living in a log cabin here on [Arkansas] 298 and one night, I just decided to start a Christmas tree farm,” Pat Sanders said. “I thought it sounded like a lot of fun, but we also did a lot of research before we started.”
The Sanders joined the Arkansas Christmas Tree Growers Association and “learned everything we could” before planting 1,000 Leyland Cypress and Virginia Pine trees. They have been continuos members for 26 years and even served on the board of directors of the association.
Pat Sanders explained that the trees take up to five or six years to grow tall enough to be used as Christmas trees, but they were able to start selling in the fourth year. Each year, because of the years it takes to grow them, the Sanders rotate sections of land to sell the trees. However, the San-ders said they have stopped planting the trees over the years, so they could plan to close the Christmas tree farm.
“We knew a few years ago that we were going to retire, so we started phasing out the Christmas trees,” Pat Sanders explained. “There shouldn’t be many trees left when we leave this year.”
The Sanders said their first customers were from the Benton area, but now they have customers from all over Central Arkansas. Pat Sanders said she believes their Web site, www.homesteadchristmastreefarm.com, is part of the reason for the growth.
“I think the Internet has definitely helped us,” she said. “We still have our Benton customers that come year after year, but over the past couple of years we have started getting customers from Conway, Little Rock, a lot of people from Hot Springs and others from all over.”
The customers keep coming back, Pat Sanders said, because they offer free full service, free treats for the kids and the thousands of trees to look through. She said the prices on the trees are individually tagged on the trees, so the customers “don’t have to guess” or ask.
“We’ll do what the customer wants,” she said. “We’ll cut down the tree if they want, we’ll haul it, shake and clean it, wrap it up and net it, loaded and tie it down for them.
Customers may do any of the work they want themselves and the tree farm can provide saws, Pat Sanders said. The trees sell for between $20 and $80.
The Sanders not only have thousands of trees, but also sell handmade garland and natural wreaths. She said it takes her an average of an hour to make a wreath and that sells for around $20.
Customers spend an average of 30 minutes to an hour walking the farm and taking home a tree, but some have taken much longer Pat Sanders said.
“When people come out here, they just aren’t in a rush to get the trees,” she said. “They take there time and enjoy themselves. One couple came out and I think set the record. They stayed about three hours. They just walked and walked and just really enjoyed it.”
To keep warm, the San-ders offer hot chocolate. They also have candy canes and even coloring books for the children.
“The children’s faces light up when the come here,” Pat Sanders said. “They always have a good time. It always amazes me when I see those children become adults and bring their own children to look for a Christmas tree.”
She said the parents and children not only enjoy the Christmas tree farm, but their four legged pals visit as well. She said they have seen dozens of dogs come to the farm and walk the aisles of Christmas trees.
It is the customers and their pets that the Sanders said they will miss the most.
“We have seen some people come here since we first opened,” Pat Sanders said. “We had some tears shed when people found out we were retiring. We just love this time of year and will miss being out here, but it was just time for us to retire. We just hope they find a new tree farm and keep the tradition going.”
Homestead is at 13975 Arkansas 298. For directions, visit the Web site or call 594-5225.
Hours are 9 a.m.-dark seven days a week through Dec. 21
|
Razorbacks
