BTN of Oregon
BTN of Oregon helps keep holiday traditions alive, one tree at a time.
For three generations, BTN of Oregon, a Salem-based Christmas tree farm, has been bringing holiday cheer to homes across the country—and even the world. What began as a small venture in the 1950s has grown to over 2,700 acres and an annual harvest of 400,000 trees.
A history rooted in tradition
Mike Stone’s journey in the Christmas tree industry began when he was just 13 years old and purchased his first piece of property. To make a payment on the land, he harvested the Christmas trees, sparking a life-long passion. Mike spent years researching the planting, growing, and harvesting of Christmas trees. In 1990, he passed the reins of the business to his three sons—Ben, Tyler, and Nathan—laying the foundation for BTN of Oregon. And just as Mike passed his knowledge onto his sons, Tyler’s 21-year-old son, Luke, is now proudly part of the company.
Year-round work
You might think that Christmas trees are easy to grow, but it’s a labor-intensive crop. Growing approximately three million trees at any one time, there are very few days when the BTN team is not working to cultivate quality trees. According to Tyler Stone, vice president of BTN, “We’re constantly trimming, planting, and taking care of weeds. Culturing the trees takes time, and they’re all done by hand—every single tree, every year, so it’s a very time-consuming process.”
In SAIF’s most recent episode of Odd Jobs, Corey Jenkins rolled up his sleeves and stepped into the boots of a Christmas tree farmer. From planting seedlings to ensure the farm’s sustainability to trudging through mud to harvest the trees, Corey discovered that this one-of-a-kind job is a blend of deeply rewarding moments and plenty of hard work.
Commitment to safety and sustainability
Many of the jobs that crews perform come with significant safety risks, making the correct personal protective equipment (PPE) essential. But safety isn’t just about gear—it’s also about teamwork, communication, regular safety meetings, and constant check-ins from the crew leaders. During the hot summer months, when crews are shearing trees, safety and well-being are a priority. “We start right at daylight and usually work six hours, and everyone goes home,” explains Tyler. “It’s not good to keep anyone out longer than that. When you get fatigued, accidents happen.”
Sustainability is equally important. “It takes 7-8 years to get a mature 6–7-foot tree. So, for every tree we’re taking out, we’re putting one back in the ground to keep that rotation going. We have to when you’re planning 8 years out.” said Tyler.
It's harvest time!
Harvesting around 400,000 trees each year is no small feat. Starting in late October,
crews begin to cut tagged trees for upcoming orders. Hot on their heels are the slingers, who expertly stack the cut trees in bundles. From there, helicopters move bundled trees from the field to the landing or the shuttle truck at an impressive rate of 1,500 trees per hour.
The trees are shaken to remove loose debris before being wrapped or “baled” in string. They get loaded by hand onto a conveyor and then into customers’ semi-trucks. BTN ships their trees to southern California, Hawaii, Texas, Mexico, and as far away as China, spreading holiday cheer around the world.
Spreading holiday joy
Although most of BTN’s business is wholesale, they also run Christmas tree lots under the name Tree Kings. These may be a lot of work, but they come with their own rewards. “It’s fun to see the joy in the families when they come out and get a real tree,” says Tyler. “I mean, what’s better than a real tree in your house—the smell—amazing!”
Watch the latest episode of Odd Jobs to learn more about the time, care, and hard work that goes into crafting the perfect Christmas tree.
