[ad_1]
Nick Foley decided it was time to turn things around on his 30-acre property when living away from the farm began to present problems.
Now, more than 25 years later, Nick’s farm is a festive retreat in the heart of the Ring of Kerry.
“I trained myself as a chef and had a herd of Black Polly and Hereford wet nurses, as well as a flock of Scottish sheep and a Leicester ram on my 30 acres,” he says.
“I had moved from Killarney to Killorglin so I lived about 13 miles from the farm and it was difficult.
“Often in the middle of the night, I would get a phone call from a neighbor to tell me that the cattle or sheep had hit the road. I would have to get up and head to the farm to put them on after a long day at work. It just wasn’t worth it. “
Close
An aerial view of the farm.
A quarter of a century ago, agriculture was a little different.
“That time, we used to take the cattle to the fair in the town. We had to leave at 4 in the morning to get there on time as it was a three mile hike. Back then, however, it wasn’t a hassle to walk 20 miles with cattle, everyone did it, ”he says.
Early starts and midnight wake-up calls started to take their toll on Nick and he finally decided to make a drastic move and completely burn out.
“I’ve always been interested in gardening and wanted to do something different with the farm, to adapt it to my better life,” says Nick. “So I planted the 30 acres in Christmas trees.”
He thought that the trees would not need maintenance, but soon found that this was not the case.
“I did not do any market research before planting them. Those I had talked to had told me that they would just grow freely and require little maintenance, ”he says. “Everything was a learning curve from that first day.”
Nick found that as his trees grew and developed, the work was just beginning.
“I found out, after a while, that trees need to be primed regularly to keep their shape,” he says.
“They also benefit from being treated with a hormone. This hormone was initially developed in the United States to promote the growth of corn crops, but was later recognized as ideal for use on Christmas trees.
“Every Christmas tree has a ‘leader’, which is the highest part of the tree. Once it’s four inches long, I scrub the tree with the growth-stunting hormone so you don’t have big holes in the tree as it grows. “
Nick says each tree should be done three times during the growing season, which generally runs from early May to mid-June.
“Growing these trees involves much more than planting them,” he says.
Almost nine years after planting, the first of Nick’s trees was ready to be harvested.
“They all got together and suddenly I had 30 acres of Christmas trees to sell. The wait was long, but they really delivered, ”he says.
In previous years, Nick had been buying a small number of Christmas trees to sell, in order to build a customer base before starting to sell his own trees.
“That way, I already had some regulars when my own trees were ready,” he says.
With each passing year, Nick gained more and more personalization, and is now one of the largest Christmas tree suppliers in Ireland.
He has converted an existing cattle barn into a tree display and storage facility, welcoming people from all over the world.
Close
Daniel, Jimmy, and Jamie Spillane from Killarney Pick a Tree
“Families can come and pick their Christmas tree and enjoy a glass of mulled wine and some goodies. It’s the perfect holiday experience, ”he says. “We even had a group of 60 Swiss tree growers visit us last year, which was great.”
Nick now supplies a large number of garden centers, as well as public houses, hospitals, county councils and private homes across the country.
He says that for each tree he cuts, he plants another in its place, to always have a nearby supply of trees.
Some helpful residents have also taken up residence under the shelter of the Christmas trees.
“I have had a herd of Shropshire sheep for the last 15 years or so. They are a three-purpose breed, which means they are suitable for meat and wool and are friendly to trees, ”says Nick.
“We keep them in forestry as they clean and fertilize the soil as they go. We moved them from acre to acre to ensure full ground cover, and found them to be ideal for controlling the tree growing environment. “
The business is a true family affair and Nick credits Anne, his wife of nearly 50 years, for much of his success.
“She has always been a great help and a great encouragement. I couldn’t do it without her, ”he says.
Involved
The couple’s children are also heavily involved in the holiday business.
“Our sons John, Patrick and Seamus work a lot on the farm with me. They are a fantastic help. Our daughters Nicola and Cliodhna are always there to help too. Nicola has actually organized a Santa Farm Experience this year and we are very excited, ”says Nick.
Santa’s experience at Killarney Christmas Tree Farm is a little different than others; this year implies a social distancing.
“Santa will be in a bubble on the farm. Each family enters the bubble separately, where they can meet Santa, ”says Nick. “There is an illuminated trail of Christmas lights through the wooded area – it’s magic.
Close
Zara Foley (4) from Killarney enjoys the tree farm
“We were lucky to reserve an hour after the advertisement.”
There is no charge for the Santa experience, – Visitors are simply asked to make a donation to St Vincent de Paul through the donation box on the site.
Close
Killarney’s Ryan Lynch at the site’s holiday shop
Questions and answers: ‘My land is marginal, so this was the perfect way to diversify’
At what level of start-up costs did you incur in starting the business?
I think it cost me around £ 5,000 to get started.
Close
Greg Lejwoda prepares a tree for a family
How long did it take to get your farm business up and running?
This type of farming is not something you will get a quick return from. It took nine years before my own trees were ready to be sold, so I had to wait nine years.
My land was a fringe land, so this was the perfect way to diversify, but it wouldn’t be right for everyone. At the time he was working full time as a chef, so I was prepared to wait for him to return.
Was financing available from banks for this type of business?
No, I did not have any financial aid available. I hadn’t done much market research either, so I just used my own savings.
I also used the money from the shares I sold to finance the tree farm.
What grant or other help was available?
At that time, grants were available for commercial forestry but not for Christmas trees. I’m not sure if things have changed in that regard.
What support agencies / agencies were available to help?
The best source of advice I have received over the years is a forester named PJ Brutton. He worked with the Killarney National Park and has been an incredible help over the years.
Although he told me he didn’t have much experience with Christmas trees, he always pointed me in the right direction.
Building permit required?
No, because we have just expanded an existing cattle barn to store and display the cut trees.
Was insurance required?
Yes, when we opened to the public we got liability insurance.
I have also always had agricultural multi-peril insurance through FBD. This covers all possible hazards that may arise on my farm.
However, this year I was one week late in payment due to some delays caused by the pandemic and as a result they have refused to provide me with this insurance any longer.
What has been your biggest challenge?
Marketing has been one of my biggest challenges. Getting my name out there was difficult at first and I didn’t know how to do it.
Little by little I was creating a customer base, but it took time. I now have clients all over Ireland and the UK.
Close
Nick says the market remains stable as people are still prepared to buy quality trees
If you could go back in time, is there anything you would have done differently?
I would have put more firebreaks and paths through the farm at the beginning, before putting the trees in, as it becomes more difficult to do these things as the trees mature.
Online editors
[ad_2]