TREE FARMERS CELEBRATE 50 YEARS!

Pinetum Christmas Tree Farm has been a certified Tree Farm for more than 50 years, and members of the extended Stacy family celebrated the milestone with a photo shoot in July. From left top row: Marshall and Cindy Stacy, Nadia Williams, Chester Stacy and Dane Huxford. Front row: Agata Stacy, Chloe Huxford, Logan Huxford and Krysta Stacy Huxford.

Marshall and Cindy Stacy have been growing a variety of Christmas trees as well as hardwoods since 1970 on their 370-acre property in Swanton. This Christmas season will be the Stacy’s 52nd selling cut Christmas trees – primarily special-order large, sheared trees, up to 40-ft tall. In previous years, Pinetum Christmas Trees raised “living room” sized trees and operated two retail tree lots in Maryland’s Montgomery and Howard counties.

In 1986, Marshall and Cindy Stacy were named Mid-Atlantic Tree Farmers of the Year, under the Tree Farm System, beating out 4460 tree farms for the honor. Marshall’s ideas on managed forestry and innovations in tree farm management and production have earned him recognition, including publicity in The Washington Post, The Sun and national television.

Marshall credits many Maryland State foresters and Christmas tree growers, who have freely shared their knowledge and expertise with him over the years to make his tree farm successful.

The Tree Farm program began in Maryland in 1941 and recognizes the commitment of private forest owners to sustainably managing their woodland and meeting 3rd party certification standards. For more information on Tree Farm, visit https://dnr.maryland.gov/for.../Pages/programapps/tfarm.aspx