Family and Farm History
Oregon and Clackamas County are the largest producers of Christmas
trees in the nation. Between six and eight million are sold each year.
Ringle and Son Tree Farms, located in Clackamas County, began growing
Christmas trees in 1978. We are the second owners of our 67 acre property
in the past 140 years.
The Fischer family from Canada preceded us when they purchased the land in
1867 for $3.12 per acre. We paid considerably more in 1977. Our first harvest,
though small, was in 1983. On a clear day, you can see both
Mt. Hood and Mt. St. Helens from the farm.
There are approximately 80,000 Douglas-fir, Noble Fir and
Grand Fir on sixty-two acres of our farm. Our main plantings are
Douglas-fir, Noble and Grand Fir, along with a few other varieties of conifers. We also
lease and plant trees on other acreage.
The bulk of our sales are commercial and our trees
have been shipped to many states, plus Guam and Canada. We also operate a
U-Cut, which we have done for the past 23 years. During harvest, we sell a
total of 10 to 15 thousand trees.
We are a family operated farm. Phil is a semi-retired attorney.
Some of his clients were Christmas tree
growers and wholesalers. Phil handles farm marketing, advertising and
business affairs. He also works on the farm during the U-Cut. He
will likely greet you and explain the U-Cut operation during your visit. Marva, his wife,
when available, serves as the cashier and hostess. She works at Willamette
University College of Law at Salem.
Jim has lived on the farm since graduating from college.
He has devoted 20 years to the full-time operation of the farm. He has run his
own shearing crews and has given demonstrations in that skill. He also operated
a big retail lot in Los Angeles for a large Christmas tree retailer. Jim
manages the farm and the wholesale operation, which includes cutting, shagging,
baling and loading the trees on semi trucks. During harvest, this is a
twelve-plus hour daily operation. Jim works with
the U-Cut customers after the commercial operation winds down.
In the spring and summer, Jim, along with our workers,
apply the necessary care to promote the growth of healthy trees. Jim is
assisted by his 17 year old son, Kerry, who besides being a good worker, is a
Captain of the Oregon City High School football team.
We want your U-Cut experience to be fun for the entire
family. We open the day after Thanksgiving for three days (Nov. 28-30,
2008), then re-open
the following Saturday (Dec. 6th) thru December 23rd. We are closed on Mondays. Our hours and open
dates are listed here:
Hours/Location.
We provide saws, along with free hot chocolate, coffee
and candy canes for the kids. If you need assistance, we will help you cut
your tree and carry it in from the field. Shaking and baling your tree is
free. We recommend all trees over five feet be baled, as they are easier
to handle and install in your home. You cut the baling twine after the
tree is in the stand and placed in your house. Noble and Cedar boughs are free, when available.
We sell fresh wreaths, crosses, swags, watering devices,
tree fresheners, removal bags and permanent tree stands, which we will install for you each year. We also have
a small petting zoo with pygmy goats, rabbits and sometimes other animals.
Outdoor toilets are available on site.
When you arrive at the farm, someone will be there to
greet you and direct you to one of three areas on the farm for your tree
selection. The first two weekends we will be loading commercial trucks
during the day, so watch out for tractors and trailers. Please drive carefully
when passing through the loading area and on the farm roads.
We look forward to your visit. Dress warm and
wear your boots. Have fun!
Phil and Jim