Growing Christmas trees began as a learning experience of sorts for Dave Reese’s sons. Twenty-three years later, selecting just the right one on the Reeses’ Kaleidoscope Farms in Mt. Cory has become a traditional holiday rite for many residents in and around the Findlay area.
It’s also a family affair for Dave and his wife, Jan, who take pride in the family-owned and operated business. Everyone pitches in year-round to guarantee a great crop, and their togetherness in the project is what he considers most important.
“So far, this is a dream come true, and I hope and plan to keep it that way,” says Dave, the farm’s director. “We have strong family values. Together, we get it done.”
The 24-acre farm fairly bulges during Yuletide with up to 5,000 salable trees in pine, spruce and fir varieties. Some customers start their shopping early, tagging their selections up to a month before Thanksgiving. At a price range of $35 to $85, all receive fresh-cut trees raised through integrated pest management that eschews pesticides, and in a foundation of clover to assist healthy growth.
The business started in 1983 as a way to introduce the couple’s sons — Matt, Aaron, Jeff, and Jay — to the family’s agricultural background. Along the way, Dave wanted to instill in each boy a quality work ethic and the pride and value that comes with accomplishment.
In the beginning, the Reeses also raised Dorset sheep, Pyrenees dogs, shiitake mushrooms and flowers along with their Christmas trees. For about a decade, they kept reindeer. But the trees dominated the enterprise and became the main business. Approximately 24,000 cover Kaleidoscope Farms, with more planted every year to replace those sold.
They’re tended to all year, especially during the summer , when all undergo shearing, an arduous task that makes for long hours. “It’s very labor-intensive,” says 64-year-old Dave, a retired vocational agribusiness teacher for the Liberty-Benton school district. “The bugs and the heat during summer are the worst.”
He receives help from his sons, their wives and children, his mother, his father-in-law, and his brother-in-law, although all have careers of their own. The Reeses also sell trees for home landscaping.
But the farm does most of its business during several intense weekends in December. That’s when Dave brings in additional help to manage tree sales, run the gift shop, and oversee a nativity scene with live animals. And reindeer are still featured, although they are brought in only for the holiday.
The only downside to the business Dave can identify is the family’s sacrifice of annual vacations in order to keep the trees flourishing. But while the lack of vacations have kept them from creating some family memories, Dave is pleased that they have created others through the business, and helped the families who buy their Christmas trees to create their own.
Jeff Reese says the business will continue into the family’s next generation, if only to teach Dave’s grandchildren the same valuable work ethic he taught his sons. “It’s not easy work, but when you do it together and as a family it can be fun. We want them to know what’s it’s like to do work that’s hard but satisfying,” he says.
For Dave, much of the satisfaction comes from meeting families in the
holiday spirit and contributing to their Yuletide joy. “I enjoy it a lot,” he said.
Kaleidoscope Farms is located off Interstate 75 between Bluffton and Findlay, just east of State Route 235. Open weekdays, 4-6pm, Saturdays, 10am-6pm Sundays 2-6pm. Closed at noon Saturday, December 22.
