How did it all begin?
Vyrnwy Christmas Trees is based in Meifod and supply Nordmann non-needle drop trees. Vyrnwy Christmas Trees is run by Tom and Cath Pritchard. They have three young children, Alfie, Neive and Madi who love to get involved and help in their own way, it is very much a family effort.
The business started in 2012, following a random idea from Cath, and after much research and many meetings they agreed to try 1,200 Nordmann fir seedlings as a starting point.
What does a typical year look like on a Christmas tree farm?
The early part of every year is quiet on trees, which in all honestly, is quite nice after the Christmas period! Saying that we lamb our Shropshire flock indoors from the start of January as they are a naturally early lambing breed.
Starting in Spring, we start general maintenance on the trees, like pruning. In May we like to get the ewes back into the trees to start grazing between the trees. The trees start to grow from June - August in the main, but each year has been different and because of this, we do not like to leave the sheep in the trees with the new soft growth, just in case they are tempted!
We start shaping and pruning in September, the sheep return to the trees at this point after being with the Ram.
From October, we start labelling up trees which we feel are ready to market for the Christmas period and then start harvesting near the end of November.
We have been incredibly lucky so far to have found a loyal customer base, which is growing year after year ranging from the public to garden centres.
For a superior quality 6 - 8ft tree you can expect to wait 9 - 10 years in the main from planting, but we always have some that are quicker and slower than that. – Tom Pritchard, Owner
Tell us about your sustainability achievements
The biggest turning point for Vyrnwy Christmas Trees and its sustainability was the introduction of Pedigree Shropshire Sheep, which has had a great impact on the business environmentally and financially.
In the early years of the business, they could soon spend £100’s on sprays to tackle weeds and grass. The introduction of the flock helped eliminate the need for weed killers as they rotationally graze the trees throughout the year.
Since then, the farm now has had an established pedigree flock and a diversified business model by selling lambs to other breeders and to others looking for a sustainable option of grazing orchards and other plantations.
Do you have any advice for picking the perfect tree?
As everybody’s needs and desires are different, we feel there is no such thing as a perfect tree, it’s all in the eye of the beholder! Some like thick bushy trees, other like narrow, spaced out trees. We feel we have something to suit everybody!
