5,000 Trees Planted: Valley Tree Farm Grows for Up to Eight Years

By Olivia Hart

About 5,000 Christmas trees were planted at Valley Tree Farm near Belview, Minnesota, in spring 2026, and trees grown for a chosen height can take up to eight years to reach harvest.

A 2026 planting can therefore remain unharvested until 2034. For the Stonestrom family, that long interval makes watering, disease control and crop monitoring standing commitments rather than seasonal finishing work.

What does rain change for tree growers?

Co-owners Dani and Erik Stonestrom run the farm in the Minnesota River valley. Dani Stonestrom said: “It’s all about the health of the tree. You’re just trying to keep up with biology and the environment.”

Valley Tree Farm operates a drip line and hand-waters trees as needed, particularly during dry periods. She said trees need water but do not like wet feet, making drainage as important as irrigation.

Over the past two years, the farm’s area received what Stonestrom called a “substantial amount of rain,” including at least an inch a week through most of spring and summer. The water helped the growing season but also complicated spring planting.

Stonestrom described the planting race: bare roots had to reach the ground in spring and early May, “before the next rain comes.” Timing decides the outcome. A prolonged wet spell can leave crews unable to plant without compacting soil or damaging roots.

How does the farm maintain a uniform crop?

Insects, fungi and other natural pressures can disrupt tree uniformity and affect health. Stonestrom said removing problem trees helps limit the need for chemical treatments, while mowing and controlling weeds can reduce disease risk.

That sequence gives growers a physical first response before they reach for crop-protection chemicals. Field checks matter throughout a tree’s multi-year life, since damage that appears minor in one season can determine whether the tree reaches a saleable height.

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture and the University of Minnesota visit the farm annually to monitor crop health. Those visits also give Stonestrom opportunities to compare practices and learn from other growers.

She described daily learning as unavoidable and said watering and general crop analysis are critical to success every day. Regular observation can identify irrigation problems, weeds or disease before they spread across a planting block.

What has changed under the Stonestroms?

Valley Tree Farm has been part of the Belview area for about 40 years, although ownership has changed. Ron Iverson, born and raised locally, established the farm as a Christmas tree operation and later added tree spading services. About seven years ago, Iverson sold it to another local family, which added a small market and an annual fall festival.

In June 2025, Erik and Dani Stonestrom bought the farm. The couple also own an excavating and tiling company about four miles away and raise four children: Collins, Willow, Reiney and Harrison.

Stonestrom said the farm had long served as a local tradition. She and Erik bought their first Christmas tree there when they married, and visitors now travel from a couple of hours away for trees and the continuing fall festival.

The annual festival runs on weekends in September and October. Its eighth season this year includes a 7-acre corn maze, scavenger hunt, tractor rides and animals. The festival has reached eight seasons, while one spring planting may take eight years to return to market.

Tree spading services continue under the Stonestroms. They have also added concession stands operating on winter weekends and expanded the existing market into a two-room gift shop selling Christmas and seasonal decorations, jarred salsa and sauce, homeware and children’s items.

During the Christmas season, shoppers can walk among pines, spruce and fir trees and select a tree to cut. The farm also sells pre-cut trees for visitors who do not want to harvest one themselves. Evergreens range across sizes, and the family harvests and sells the trees or allows customers to choose their own.

The Stonestroms also rent a home through Airbnb and Vrbo. It receives seasonal decoration and a live evergreen tree during Christmas, giving visitors what Stonestrom described as the rare experience of staying on an actual working tree farm in southwest Minnesota.

When does the 2026 season run?

• Opening and closing: The 2026 Christmas season starts Nov. 18 and continues through Dec. 20, or until the farm’s tree selections sell out.
• Opening hours: The farm opens from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. Weekend concessions are available.
• Location: Valley Tree Farm is at 42652 County Road 7 near Belview.
• Other locations: The Minnesota Grown and Minnesota Christmas Tree Association websites list tree farms across Minnesota.

A sold-out crop could end sales before Dec. 20, making an early visit the practical choice for buyers. For growers, the next operational checkpoint is early May, when saturated soil and the timing of the next rain will determine whether bare-root trees can be planted before conditions close the window.