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67 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, September 16, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend August 24, 2004 Jim Griffin takes a swing at a Douglas fir tree Monday on his Christmas tree farm off Madrona Lane west of Medford. Griffin�s customers won�t be showing up for several months, but tree trimming to shape the firs and pines is under way now. Mail Tribune / Jim Craven Tree farm swipes at perfection Shaping starts months before November’s pre-holiday rush By PAUL FATTIG Mail Tribune Christmas may be 123 days away, but Jim Griffin is already thinking about that perfect tree. Make that about 10,000 perfect trees. "The idea is to get this growth off while at the same time trying to shape it," he explained as he used a long shearing knife to whack at a green cowlick sticking out the side of a Scotch pine. "By the time I’m done, I’ll be personally acquainted with every tree out here," he added. He and his wife, Sharri, own Clark’s Tree Farm U-Pick We Cut at 980 Washburn Lane in Medford. Advertisement Come August, when most folks are still holding summer barbecues, Griffin picks up his shearing knife, which looks a bit like a slender Samurai sword, and starts trimming Christmas trees. He begins with the Scotch pine early in August, then moves on to fir trees. The 12-acre farm is one of two Christmas tree farms off Madrona Lane, just south of Jacksonville Highway. Although most of Oregon’s Christmas tree farms are in the Willamette Valley, several have taken root in southwestern Oregon. Oregon tree farms supply about 25 percent of the estimated 24 million Christmas trees harvested each year in the United States. Consider this: Oregon trees in 2002 accounted for $160 million, or a 44 percent share, of the estimated $360 million wholesale Christmas tree market, according to the Oregon Department of Agriculture. High-quality trees grown in Oregon fetch top dollar, giving Oregon a larger share of sales revenue. Hailing from southern Texas, where he worked on the family farm as a youngster, Griffin looks forward to whacking away at trees. The Griffins also operate Pro-Tect Plastic and Supply Inc., a shrink-wrap business that sends him on the road periodically. "When I get home from traveling, this is my way of relaxing," he said. When Griffin rears back with his sharp blade, you don’t want to be in the vicinity. For protection, he wears a full-length heavy plastic shin guard on his right leg. Judging from its numerous notches, it has stopped the blade more than once. "Without that, I would have cut my leg off a long time ago," he said. He figures he can trim about 30 trees before his shoulder starts aching for a break. He slowly walks around each tree as he trims it. "Each one is different," he said. "You have to ‘eyeball’ each one to evaluate it." The goal is to have the trees ready for the first Saturday after Thanksgiving when the farm is open to the public for the holidays. "It’s a family thing," he said. Their son, Austin, 12, and daughter, Jennah, 15, pitch in. Several neighborhood youngsters are also hired on for the holiday season. The Griffins offer Scotch pine as well as fir. Shortly after the holidays, they plant replacement seedlings purchased from a nursery in Springfield. "One of the problems is that nobody grows a Christmas tree seedling for this zone," Griffin said. "Roseburg is as far south as they go. "They really aren’t adapted to our drier climate," he added. The Griffins plan to harvest seeds from their own trees this fall to see if they can raise their own seedlings. "We think those trees will be more drought tolerant," he said. Thanks largely to the climate Grinch, only about 30 percent of the seedlings they have been planting survive, he estimated. To keep grass and weeds to a minimum, he mows between the tree rows with a tractor and hand-weeds under the trees, which are irrigated during the summer. "This cool weather now is gorgeous for trimming trees," he said. "I’ve been trying to trim the last couple of weeks but the trees have been so tough I’ve had to sharpen about every trim. "With this moisture, I can go through 10 trees without sharpening it," he added. "They are a lot softer." As he cuts, the fresh fragrance of pine and fir fills the air. "I live for that," he said of the holiday scent. Reach reporter Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or e-mail him at [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities