By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Christmas trees come in a variety of sizes, colors, and materials. But nothing beats the real thing. Since 1959, Delp Christmas Tree Farm & Orchard, located just east of St. John on 281 Highway, has provided an authentic holiday experience for Kansas families. Cecil Delp started the farm, which was considered unusual at the time. His son, Tony, ultimately moved back from Dallas to run the farm for several years. He said the family has seen a lot of changes over the decades.
"We were the only tree farm basically in Kansas when we started," Tony said. "I think it got up to maybe 100 or 120 different tree farms in the state. I think, now, it's back down to probably 30 or a little more."
The size of the tree farm has also changed. Under Tony, his wife, Linda, and their three sons, it grew as large as nearly 300,000 trees spread across 200 acres. Now, Tony's son, Joel, runs the farm with his wife, Sarah, and their three children. The operation has been reduced to approximately 16,000 trees, consisting of seven varieties of pines and firs, on 30 acres.
"Back when we had the large number we did a lot of wholesaling," said Tony. "We'd send out several semi-loads a day throughout Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Missouri, and even Colorado. As I got older and closer to retirement, we decided to go back to basically selling to choose-and-cut individuals, so we shrunk the business down."
The key to operating the tree farm is planning ahead. The Delps plant more trees than they intend to sell due to expected losses and for quality assurance. Faster-growing varieties can reach as tall as the desired six or seven feet in seven or eight years. Slower-growing varieties may take 10 years to reach the desired height. Customers can walk and fields and harvest their favorite tree.
"We have saws we provide to customers," Tony said. "The trees in the field that we're ready to sell are tagged with a price and an approximate height. You can go out and pick whichever one. Right now, we have about 1,500 trees in the field for people to choose from."
The Delps also bring in a few hundred Frazier firs to supplement sizes. The farm also offers no-maintenance flock trees in a variety of colors. The Delps make several hundred fresh wreaths each year, and a shop on the property offers a variety of decorations, fresh peanuts, and free apple cider - all in front of a real fireplace.
Tony and Linda have handed the reigns to the next generation, but he still fills in for the company that has provided so much for his family and others.
"My sons grew up working on the farm," Tony said. "It gave them a chance to get out and do some labor. My wife made bows and did purchasing for the shop so we were involved as a family. It was really a good opportunity for our family."
The farm opened the Friday after Thanksgiving and will remain open through Christmas. Hours are 1-6 p.m. Sunday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday.