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Alex Shuda <br />8196 201h Ave N <br />Lino Lakes, MN 44038 <br />Katie A. Larsen, AICP <br />City of Lino Lakes <br />600 Town Center Pkwy <br />Lino Lakes, MN 55014 <br />Via Email Only to: klarsen@linolakes.us <br />October 24, 2024 <br />Re: Application for 8196 201h Avenue-Shuda Farms Site & Building Plan Review <br />Dear Ms. Larsen: <br />am providing this letter in response to your October 21 st request to provide a signed <br />narrative regarding our plans to start a tree farm at our family farm in Lino Lakes. As you <br />know, we currently use our land at 8196 201h Ave. to grow row crops. Growing row cops is a <br />permitted use for a property in a designated rural zone —as is operating a nursery. Currently, <br />we farm our land and help with combining and tilling for many neighboring farms. We are in <br />the process of transitioning to operating the tree farm and have matured approximately 800 <br />trees in the last two years in our wind protected mature tree yard. Due to the spectacular <br />organic ground at 8196 201h Ave., we will be planting much of the ground with native organic <br />trees that will be sold on a wholesale (not retail) level, and used in our related landscaping <br />business. We anticipate having 20,000+ trees under production in a few years. We also <br />operate a landscaping business out of our shop in Centerville, which we do not intend to <br />change. <br />Process <br />Trees will be brought in from the west coast as bare root liners (seedlings and whips, without <br />dirt on the roots) in refrigerated trucks. We will store the bare root liners in the new buildings <br />under temperature -controlled conditions. The bare root liners will be potted up into <br />containers and/or directly buried into the ground to grow the trees. The stockpile of organic <br />black dirt on site will be used to pot up the trees and amend other soil as necessary. Trees <br />will be sold in three to eight years depending on the variety. Trees ready for sale will be <br />available in buckets and as B&B (ball and burlap). Replanting and harvesting of trees will <br />happen on an ongoing annual basis. <br />Black Dirt Stockpile <br />