StockBIZ- ‘Twas the month before Christmas: A tale of two Christmas tree farms

by Mary Jo David

Thinking back on a childhood that instilled a love of Christmas carols, this columnist realizes it all began around the family Christmas tree. While interviewing local tree farmers for this column, memories came flooding back—of decorating the perfect pine each Christmas Eve and gathering with six siblings around its base to sing Christmas carols in anticipation of the birth of the Christ Child and, if being totally honest, the arrival of Santa Claus!

Stockbridge is fortunate to have two nearby Christmas tree growers who genuinely love to help make Christmas special for their customers—the Howlett Tree Farm, just north of town, and Pleasant Lake Pines, to the southwest.

Howlett Tree Farm

Over the years, you’re probably quite familiar with Howlett Tree Farm, which regularly donates the large Christmas tree featured in the Stockbridge Township Square gazebo. Rick Howlett is proud of the long history of the tree farm that he and wife Molly purchased in 1977.

“I’ve always enjoyed the outdoors—especially here,” explained Rick, recalling the fond memories he has of choosing Christmas trees at this same property when he was a youngster and Emil and Victoria Wolf owned the property.

“We’d walk and walk with my Dad, looking for the perfect tree, maybe leaving a mitten or a hat to mark the ones we liked as we looked through the rest of the trees to make sure we didn’t leave until we found the perfect one,” Howlett recalls.

Howlett sells already cut trees of varying heights and types, including spruces of the white, blue, Norway, Serbian, and Myers species and firs like Fraser, Douglas, Canaan, Korean, and concolor. Prices vary depending on the type and size. The trees are cut daily and can be drilled for stands, then shaken and baled for easy transport.

The tree farm also offers fresh wreaths, grave blankets, tree stands, watering spouts, and tree removal bags. Howlett gets quite animated when describing the tree stands he sells that are designed to match up with a hole drilled in the tree’s trunk to keep the tree fresh, perfectly straight in the stand, and easy to turn to show off its best side.

“We’ve received credit for saving a few marriages with these stands,” says Howlett with a smile.

Howlett Tree Farm is open on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, beginning the day after Thanksgiving until a few days before Christmas. Hours are 9:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. Address: 3720 N. M-52, Stockbridge, MI 49285. Ph: 517-290-7975. Accepts cash or checks. Visit Howlett Tree Farm on Facebook.

Pleasant Lake Pines

Ken Layman is the friendly proprietor of Pleasant Lake Pines. He and his family began planting seedlings back in 1998. By 2009 they were selling their first trees—all nine of them! Since then, Layman’s tree business has grown to about 15 acres of blue, white, and Norway spruces as well as Douglas, Fraser, and Canaan firs. The farm offers U-Cut and We-Cut options, and every tree is priced at $35 plus $5 for baling.

His daughter Kelsey—the youngest of the three Layman siblings—was five when they planted those first trees. This past summer, the Laymans hosted Kelsey’s wedding on the property, with close to 300 guests in attendance. Layman admits the wedding was pretty special, and creating special memories and family traditions is one of the things he likes best about selling Christmas trees.

“We have some customers who make their tree selection into an event every year, bringing their hot chocolate, doing a bit of tailgating, and creating their own lasting memories,” says Layman.

Layman recalls back when he and his five siblings would go together to pick out a Christmas tree every year, but he doesn’t remember ever getting a say in the tree they picked. “It seems like it was always my four sisters who got to decide,” Layman recalls with a laugh.

His fondest Christmas tree memories came later when he had a young family of his own. “We lived in Pinckney and took the kids to Skyhorse Station outside of Gregory to pick out our tree each year. The hot chocolate…the wagon rides…those people really knew how to make it fun!” And although his is a smaller operation, Layman and his family love being a part of what makes Christmas special for their customers.

Pleasant Lake Pines sells trees, wreaths, and swags, and this year their own honey. The tree lot is open 7 days a week in 2019, beginning November 29 through December 24. Hours: 8:00 a.m.–sundown. Address: 6562 Territorial Rd., Pleasant Lake, MI. Ph: 517-769-2900. Visit www.pleasantlakepines.com or check out Pleasant Lake Pines on Facebook.

It can take ten years for a tree to grow from a seedling to be ready-to-sell. Tree farmers, like Ken Layman of Pleasant Lake Pines, have to plant ahead to be ready with trees for the future. Photo credit: Mary Jo David

Howlett Tree Farm regularly donates the Christmas tree brightening the Stockbridge Township Square gazebo. This year Rick Howlett (pictured) selected a 9.5-foot Concolor fir. The smaller evergreen tree adorning the garden club cart at the village’s main intersection is also a Howlett Tree Farm gift. Photo credit: Patrice Johnson

The Layman Family is at home at Pleasant Lake Pines (6562 Territorial Rd, Pleasant Lake, MI). Photo Credit: Brittany Bradley

Howlett Tree Farm (3720 N. M-52 in Stockbridge), owned by Rick and Molly Howlett, is gearing up for a festive holiday season. Photo credit: Doug Howlett