T
I
M
P
O
R
T
E
R
ON THEIR FIVE-ACRE farm in rural Petaluma, Bob and Marilyn Larsen grow and sell Monterey pines and other evergreens destined for Christmas mornings all across Marin. With each sale they throw in an indelible memory — the cut of the handsaw into the fragrant pinesap, the
fresh-fallen tree strapped to the roof of the sedan — that draws families
back for generations. How did this all start? Bob: My parents bought the
place in 1918. It was a chicken farm. We went out of the chicken busi-
ness in 1960 and started growing Christmas trees in 1963. Why? Our
neighbor had a tree farm and I used to
help sell the trees and it was such fun. We
needed some trees for a windbreak — and
wound up buying about 500 seedlings.
My neighbor said I should start a tree
farm. And I thought, “That’s not a bad
idea.” We had four kids and we thought
it’d be a great family thing. What’s easier, chickens or trees? Trees are
easier. Chickens are seven days a week. You had to be there every day.
With these, there are only certain times — the pruning and the selling —
that are restrictive. How many trees do you sell each year? It varies, 600
to 800. About a third are precut. And how many do you have growing?
About 5,000. Wow! Marilyn: Well, they grow slowly. How are sales?
Less than before. Partly because people buy those plastic trees and a
lot of these box stores sell trees. Back in the ’70s and ’80s there were at
least a dozen tree farms in the Petaluma area. Now there’s only three
left. We have this one and our daughter and son-in-law have the other
two. What kind of people come? Bob: Families — and almost all of them
from Marin County. Marilyn: I see families who tell me, I came here
as a little boy and now I’m bringing my family. In the carport we have a
display of pictures that people have given us. One picture is of two little
boys about age 2 and recently their grandfather came up with one of the
boys and he’s now in college. People always check to see if their picture
is still there. When’s your busiest weekend? It used to be the second or
third weekend of December, but now it’s the first weekend right after
Thanksgiving (when we open). People know if they take care of the tree
it will last longer and they want to get the best tree so they come out
early. You were married in 1949. What’s your secret? Behaving yourself.
We haven’t had much fun, but we’ve behaved ourselves (big laugh). m
A Cut Above
In Marin / CURRENTS
Bob and Marilyn
Larsen, Christmas tree
farmers, Larsen’s Christmas
Tree Farm, 391 Marshall
Avenue, Petaluma,
petalumachristmas.com
Making Christmas memories,
one tree at a time. BY TIM PORTER
ON THE JOB
