Christmas Tree Farmers of Ontario 2025 Field Day
On a bright August Saturday, Ontario Christmas tree growers and fellow tree enthusiasts gathered at Outback Tree Farm in Listowel Ontario for the Christmas Tree Farmers of Ontario (CTFO) annual Field Day. The University of Waterloo’s Christmas Tree Lab was honoured to be in attendance and learn from all the knowledgeable growers.
The Day at a Glance
The morning started out with a warm welcome from CTFO’s President, Shirley Brennan. Shirley welcomed everyone to the farm and introduced the board members in attendance. Numerous media outlets were on site, and Shirley acknowledged that it was nice to get year-round coverage highlighting the holiday crop. A speech was given by James Somerville to acknowledge the life and passing of Douglas Drysdale, a leader and inspirational figure in the Ontario Christmas tree industry. The hosts, Tim and Christine Diebel, provided an introduction to the Outback Tree Farm, detailing its history and how they became involved in the tree business. A run of show for the day was given, and everyone was off to enjoy the presentations.
New Growers 101 & Expert Q&A
The Christmas Tree Lab has been supporting CTFO by revising the association's New Growers Guide, a comprehensive guide to Christmas tree farming that is provided to new members of the association. Bringing in fresh takes and new coverage, such as social media and online marketing, the Christmas Tree Lab was eager to attend the new growers session to hear their perspectives and identify any other areas that could be expanded on within the guide. At this session, new growers had the opportunity to ask a panel of established growers with years of experience their questions about Christmas tree farming. Questions regarding soil tests, soil amending, when to plant, how to manage this year's drought, among others, were brought up and answered by the esteemed panel. Throughout the conversation, these questions and answers were noted, and their insights are to be included in the next edition of the CTFO’s New Growers Guide.
Events of the Day
Several presentations ran simultaneously throughout the day, and attendees had the opportunity to choose which to attend. A presentation was given by Agritourism Ontario, an educational and promotional organization dedicated to promoting the direct farm sales industry, including choose-and-cut farms. Another presentation was held on Minor Use Ontario updates, covering the top concerns for Christmas tree diseases, weeds, and insects/mites for 2025, as well as options for managing the identified risks. A wreath-making demonstration class was held, showing how to take pruned branches and turn them into a beautiful piece of festive display that could be sold on farms alongside the Christmas trees.
Farm tours were held throughout the day, during which the hosting farm had the opportunity to show behind-the-scenes operations and demonstrate various farming activities, such as pruning. Attendees were able to catch a ride on a peoplemover wagon and see the fields of choose-and-cut Christmas trees - the same experience offered to guests during harvesting season. During these tours, discussions of best practices and advice sharing took place, allowing growers to learn from one another and strengthen their community. Demonstrations of various farm equipment were provided by Diefenbacher Contracting, including a live demonstration of tree removal that transformed an unusable tree into mulch in seconds, as well as a subsoiling machine that tilled the ground into usable soil.
Glossary Guide on Christmas Trees
The Christmas Tree Lab was excited to debut its newest piece: The Grower’s Glossary: Illustrated Climate Concepts for Christmas Tree Farming. From types of farms and Christmas tree species to pests and climate change, this thoughtfully crafted glossary guide features handcrafted illustrations by the talented scientific illustrator, Sophia Bos, and terms and definitions surrounding climate change and the Christmas tree industry to increase familiarity with the concepts. Throughout the creation of the guide, the Lab worked closely with CTFO, showing illustration drafts for accuracy checks and revisions, and ensuring the list of terms was comprehensive. Copies of the guide were printed and distributed to farmers throughout the day, and the online version is available for any curious readers.
Excited for the Year Ahead
With another successful CTFO field day under wraps, the Christmas Tree Lab is excited for the year ahead and the opportunities to further support the industry. Through the wonderful opportunity to engage with local farmers and foster valuable connections, we gained a deeper understanding of the current needs and trends in the Ontario Christmas tree industry. We thank CTFO for including us in this eventful day and look forward to continuing our partnership and advancing our research over the next year.
