Growing Christmas, one tree at a time

Growing Christmas trees requires patience and a lot of time.

To grow a good Christmas tree takes “just short of 10 years,” according to James Earle Brackbill III, owner of Crane Neck Christmas Tree Farm in West Newbury, MA. Better known as Jeb to his customers and friends, this Christmas season, he will be offering about 600 U-cut trees.

Jeb is a second-generation Christmas tree farmer. “My father [James Earle Brackbill II] started planting trees in 1968,” he said. “He had a partner who passed away unexpectedly. I bought out his half of the business and took over the other half in a natural progression.”

Growing up on the farm, “I learned all about needle care, what chemicals are needed and mechanical care to service the trees,” he said. Just a few miles from the Merrimack River, their home site and leased land – 35 acres’ worth – have rich riverbed soil, but also a lot of clay.

“When I took it over, I expanded the business. I opened a satellite in Rochester, New Hampshire,” Jeb said. “I have been growing Christmas trees since I was really young. Through the different career opportunities, I waded through and explored, but working with Christmas trees offered more enjoyment. I like the outdoors, like being outside. I like it better than sitting behind a desk.”

Over the decades, the farm has provided trees for lots of new customers as well old faithfuls – kids who visited the farm 30 years ago that grew up and now bring their own children to choose their holiday tree.

“I have children of my own. They have always had jobs here in the summer, with flexible hours – trimming trees, maintaining the trees, mowing. They work the whole sales season. They are an integral part of helping the farm be successful,” Jeb said.

His children, third generation Ben and Liza, and his wife T.K. Brackbill have all contributed to the success of the farm.

For income, he does not accept credit cards. People must pay for their trees in cash or check. They can bring their own saw or cordless reciprocating saw – no chainsaws – to cut their tree, or saws are provided. Their website makes sure people know to bring bungee cords to attach the trees to their cars.

Over the years, Jeb has managed his own landscaping business to have a supplemental income. His son Ben now has his own landscaping business and returns to help beyond the holiday sales season when he is needed.

But times change and people grow up. Jeb said, “We are about to clear off the biggest lease of 15 acres” in West Newbury. The site is now owned by the children of their former landlord who do not live in the area. “They may be putting the land into conservation. It could be developed too. That happens.”

Keeping ahead of the curve, he has a partner, William “Bill” Latham, who he works with at Wood Street in Groveland, MA. They just completed a planting of Christmas trees on that lot, currently holding 4,000 trees in various stages of growth.

“My partner is 65. I’m going to be 63,” Jeb said. “I’m winding down.”

For the 2026 Christmas season, he expects 300 U-cut trees from the Wood Street lot and 300 more from the leased lot that’s going back into the owners’ care. As several other Massachusetts Christmas tree sellers have reported, he has more customers than he has trees.

At the property he owns in West Newbury, he has three acres planted in 1,500 trees – a mix of blue, white and Norway spruce. He chose spruces to deter the white-tailed deer.

“We’re having such a difficult time with the deer eating the trees. They don’t eat the spruce, but it’s not as good a Christmas tree as the fir trees – needle retention is not as good, and the needles are sharp,” he said.

It is this needle sharpness that deters the deer. These spruces are growing, on their way to being harvested as Christmas trees in later years.

“We don’t do anything organic, don’t do a lot of fertilizer and a minor amount of spraying. A lot of people use fertilizer, but we got to the point my trees are growing successfully without it,” he reported.

Over the years, Jeb has encountered fungus, insects and drought. In 2016, he lost 1,500 trees to drought. He lost 400 full-size trees in Rochester, NH, to fungus. “There’s always loss. It’s farming,” he said.

But he wouldn’t want to be doing anything else. He loves the holiday and providing the perfect Christmas tree experience for the public and his family.

Learn more at cranenecktree.com.

by Laura Rodley