20230927 Environmental Board Packet Combined

Home Search

Kavan Family Christmas Tree Farm CUP Narrative In early 2018 we purchased the 39.6 acre farm (PID# 34-31-22-31-0001) located at 1415 Ash Street in Lino Lakes, about a half mile west of the Centerville/Ash intersection. In November 2018 I had conversations with the City Planner and determined that a cut-your-own Christmas Tree farm is an allowed use, and in spring 2019 we started planting Christmas trees. The Kavan Family Christmas Tree farm is a family run cut-your-own Christmas tree farm (Steve (dad), Lauren (mom), Lydia (10) and Wade (8)). The farm started planting Christmas trees in 2019 on the 40 acre farm and plants 2,000 – 4,000 Christmas trees every year, and grows Balsam fir, Canaan fir, Fraser fir, Norway pine, White pine, Colorado spruce and other Christmas tree varieties. Christmas trees transplants are purchased from nurseries and are 3-5 years old when planted at our farm (6 – 18 inches tall) and on average take another eight years to reach maturity (6-8 feet tall). Our tallest trees are now 6 ½ feet tall. In 2022, Steve transitioned full-time to the farm during the growing season (April – October) and is investing considerable time and money into the farm, having invested over $100,000 in trees, fertilizer, equipment, and third-party labor since starting in 2019. A 20-foot-wide commercial driveway to serve the cut-your-own operations was approved by the City of Lino Lakes and Anoka County and installed in June 2022. The farm plans to open for tree sales to customers for the 2024 season. The farm offering families the opportunity to cut their own Christmas tree whereby they take a hand saw (no gas saws would be allowed) and a hand pulled sled into the fields, and customers would select and cut their own tree, and then bring that tree back to a small 1,920 square foot barn for processing. For families who prefer a taller tree than what is available in the field or prefer not to cut down their own tree, the farm will offer pre-cut Christmas trees where the families could select a pre-cut tree near the sales stand/check out area, which will be a heated space less than 300 square feet in size and part of the barn. In order to provide taller trees, some of these pre-cut trees will be from other farms in Minnesota or Wisconsin. As part of the checkout process, the farm will shake the tree on a shaker (which helps the old needles fall off at the farm, instead of in someone’s house), make a fresh cut on the bottom of the tree with an electric chainsaw (a fresh cut helps the tree last longer once in the house), and net the tree, which compresses the tree and helps for easier transportation and entry into one’s house. The farm may offer delivery of customer selected trees to customers in Lino Lakes and the nearby surrounding communities. The farm will offer items made from tree branches, such as wreaths, as well as tree stands and tree disposal bags. The farm will be open on weekends and holidays during daylight hours, generally from 9am- 4:30pm starting the weekend before Thanksgiving, and go through mid-December. The farm may be open some of the weekdays during that date range during daylight hours from 12- 4:30pm, depending on demand, weather, tree availability, and labor availability.