Our Maine Street's Aroostook Issue 10 : Fall 2011 | Page 36

made by the family and their helpers.

“There is something for everyone,” states Gary
Richards. “My wife has decided that even a Charlie Brown
tree will do. All it needs is a little love….We’ve even had
families cut their tree after Christmas. They waited for a
loved one to arrive or they have Orthodox beliefs.”
Work Details

“It has been a few years now since the farmer and his
family planted those trees. The farmer’s kids have grown up
and have had kids. Even the farmer’s grandchildren have had
kids. Still, the family is growing and selling trees for others,
although, instead of five family members working, there are
over 15. There are now three generations of family members
working on the farm. That’s what makes this business so special
to the farmer and his wife.”
36 Tree Farm FALL 2011

Since 1998, the tree farm has been run by the next
generation, lead by Frank and Gaye Richards. Gaye works
on the farm almost year round, with the exception of a brief
time in the winter. Since they cannot do all the physical
labor by themselves, they hire an average of 8-12 workers
each year. Local older school kids, along with family, are the
crew. Some of the workers are high-school age children and
some are adults. Some of the biggest and strongest workers
are used to help pull stumps and rocks. But all are taught
the crucial safety procedures before they are allowed to
begin work.

One reason people like to work on the tree farm is
that they know they will get a delicious, nutritious lunch
each day. When it is time, the pickup truck with chairs
on the back comes out into the field to take them back
to the small shack on the front of the lot. There they are
fed a healthy lunch made by Gaye Richards and given a