Carol Johnson, Southern Indiana Business
FAYETTEVILLE – Just in time for Christmas, a Lawrence County tree farm is in the spotlight. Ratkovich Farm in Fayetteville is on the cover of the winter issue of Indiana Farm Bureau’s My Indiana Home magazine.
The edition came out in November just as owners Ashley and Scott Ratkovich were preparing to open their farm to customers looking for a fresh-cut tree. The farm opened the day after Thanksgiving.
The magazine chronicles how the couple got started as Christmas tree growers and their vision for a U-pick farm with fields of flowers in the summer months.
Ashley Ratkovich said she never expected her family’s farm would make a magazine cover.
“I was kind of shocked when they called last year,” she said.
Ashley said the magazine has brought more attention to the farm and several customers mentioned they had seen the magazine. The Ratkovich Farm mainly serves the Lawrence County market, but Ashley said they field quite a few inquiries from the Indianapolis and Louisville area codes.
The couple bought the tree farm in 2017 from another tree farmer and planted about 1,200 trees that first year. This year marks the first year they’ve been able to sell the trees they planted in 2017.
“I was really excited for us to see people go out into the field and cut our trees,” she said. “It was awesome that people had more of a choice and a selection this year and it’s finally worth it, all the work of the past seven years, to see people having fun walking through the field to find their perfect tree.”
The perfect Christmas tree doesn’t just happen. It takes close to 10 years for a tree to mature and during that time, the tree must be pruned, watered and checked for pests. The Ratcoviches continue to plant more trees each year to ensure they have an adequate supply for the coming years.
This weekend, Ratkovich Farm will be open Saturday from 10-4 and, if any trees are left, Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.
“We almost sold out that first weekend. We have probably 30 to 40 seven-foot trees left and that’s it,” she said.
Ratkovich Farm isn’t just a Christmas tree farm. This spring and summer, the farm will be open for U-pick flowers where customers can make their own arrangements. The farm also hosts pop-up markets featuring local crafters and vendors.
Christmas tree facts
- Indiana ranks 11th in the nation with 200 tree farms producing almost 200,000 real Christmas trees per year, according to the Indiana Christmas Tree Growers Association.
- There are nearly 3,000 Christmas tree farms across the U.S., according to the Department of Agriculture’s most recent figures. These farms sell around 12 million trees a year.
- In 2022, the U.S. imported almost 3 million natural Christmas trees, primarily from Canada.
