Contributed by:
Tabitha Dial, YourHub.com
Article Contributed on: 12/3/2006 8:23:30 AM
Twenty years ago,
Don Rossi began planting pine trees on 80 of his 300 acres 15 miles south of Franktown on Parker Road. In 1991, he said, his U-Cut Tree Farm business began to allow customers to cut them down.
Nancy Juba, manager of the business, said that about 1,000 trees are sold at the farm each year for the holidays and they traditionally open the weekend before Thanksgiving. The first weekend in December is usually their busiest.
"A lot of people bring their children to start a family tradition," Juba said. "More and more people are looking for that type of natural Christmas now."
To keep those traditions going, Juba said that U-Cut Tree Farm does stump culturing to continue their tree population. They ask customers to leave branches on the stump. That branch can be trained to grow into another six-foot tree in five to seven years. "(We) can't plant because of drought-seedlings won't survive, so we're doing it this way," she said.
Most of the trees are scotch pine and douglas fir and are $35 to cut. Spruces are more expensive, starting at $12 each foot. They also have pre-cut firs priced from $60 to $200.
When she's not selling trees with a staff of ten at the tree farm, Juba said she does landscape contracting. Rossi said he's retired. But antique cars are his hobby.
This is Rossi's 52nd year selling Christmas trees. "The busier the better because the days go by so fast. When there's snow it's best because everyone's in the Christmas spirit," he said.
Rossi's wife,
Mary Ann Rossi, co-owns the business with her husband.
U-Cut Tree Farm is open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. They are located at 11200 S. Highway 83 in Franktown. Call 303-660-4770 for more information.