KILGORE — Four years ago, James and Mary Robinson put the last Christmas tree they would ever plant in the ground.
“Once you plant the tree, it takes four years to harvest it,” James said. “But once you plant your last tree, it takes four years to get out of the business.”
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On Sunday, they sold their last tree.
Nestled in the pineywoods between Tyler and Longview, Danville Farms Christmas trees have become an East Texas staple for thousands of families over the last 40 years. Like so many December weekends before this one, families from across the region converged in search of the perfect tree. But this weekend was their last chance to do it here.
Customers bundled up as the temperature quickly dropped Sunday afternoon. One mom had her toddler wrapped in multiple blankets to keep him warm as they sat next to a fire, his feet kept sneaking out into the cold air. Fires roared in pits, a snack shack served warm goodies near a three-walled shop where customers paid for their trees and wreaths.
Three generations of Robinsons milled about, helping customers, chatting with each other, and reminiscing on the many long years they had worked on this farm. Customers said they came for just one last tree before the business closed.
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“We have excellent customers,” James said. “Some of them have been coming ever since we opened.”
At 82, James was glad to see the last day of his tree farm. He had tended to thousands of trees for years and was ready to slow down and get to that honey-do list Mary was curating.
Robinson’s story is similar to many retiring farmers with no successors. Robinson’s farm provided well for his family and set his three daughters up for success in their chosen fields. And when it came time to decide if they would close the farm or name a successor, the family chose to let it go, to end the enterprise on their terms.
This could be a sad story, but it isn’t.
“We lose probably two or three farms every year due to retirement, or no one being able to manage it anymore because of their age,” said Stan Reed, the executive secretary of the Texas Christmas Tree Growers Association. “And then we also experience probably 10 or 15 new farms opening up every year.”
The number of tree farms has grown in Texas, Reed said. He has seen firsthand an increase in interest from younger farmers.
Furthermore, more Texans are shopping for real Christmas trees, according to an analysis by Texas A&M Agrilife. The number of real-tree purchases in Texas grew by 26% between 2017 and 2022.
Across the lawn at the Danville farm, William Griffin and his wife, Jamie, sat next to the fire with their two little boys. Griffin had visited this farm every year with his grandparents and cousins until his grandfather’s health began to decline. The tradition fell to the wayside as the family grieved.
That spark was reignited by William and a group of his cousins, who were now parents themselves.
“We want to preach that family is the most important, and stuff like these traditions keep that alive, they keep that going,” William said. “And hopefully my kids will do that with their kids.”
Griffin isn’t sure where he’ll take his family next year to continue the custom. But this year his smile grew as his parents arrived, and then his cousins. It was almost time to go pick out the tree.
Mary and James will miss people like the Griffins the most, folks whose names they may have forgotten but whose faces become familiar year after year.
James got his start when he and some of his buddies opened a small Christmas tree operation in the early 1980s. Business did fairly well, and Robinson wanted to do more. He worked out a deal with Lloyd and Evelyn Bolding, a local family with acres to spare. They started by growing peaches and blueberries, but then the Danville Farms Christmas Trees were born.
Business was slow at first. Robinson was happy to sell 100 trees in the first few years.
“About three years into it, I asked, ‘When are we gonna make any money?’” Mary laughed, recalling the struggle of those first few years.
Eventually, their customer base expanded thanks to word of mouth, and eventually the internet, and East Texans began adding a trip to the farm to their Christmas bucket lists. This year, the Robinsons saw hundreds of families on Black Friday.
Buying a Christmas tree here is not like grabbing a fir in front of a grocery store.
Customers drive down a dirt road through thickets and past ponds. The Robinson family and staff welcome visitors, who are allowed to explore the farm, pick and cut the tree down themselves before hopping on a tractor to ride back to the main area.
The tree is then cleaned, tied up and made ready for its trip home. Customers pay about $60 for a good-looking, 6-foot tree.
“The most enjoyable thing about it is the children,” James said. “The children come, they’re happy. They want to go on a ride. They want to get a tree. They want to get a s’more, eat some peanuts, and they’re just happy.”
While customers only see the farm for a few weeks late in the East Texas fall, the farm was a year-round operation that kept James busy. And now, he’s tired. He wants to turn his attention to family, a small personal garden and his favorite fishing spot.
The Robinsons, when asked, have encouraged their customers to seek out Solstice Tree Farm next year. Solstice is a new Christmas Tree Farm operation about 30 miles away, run by a local couple who have practiced a Christian ministry for years. They’re raising their three girls on the tree farm.
Kathy Adams, his middle child, was in third grade when her father started the farm. She fondly recalls those days spent among the trees. She’s grateful for what it gave her family. But now she’s looking forward to something new.
“We might actually get to cook together on Thanksgiving and watch football and do what normal families do,” Adams laughed. “I don’t know what it’s gonna be like. I’m sure we’ll start a new tradition and we’ll find things to do to fill the time.”
Disclosure: Texas A&M AgriLife has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.