By Susan Thompson | Times Vedette
Each summer, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig takes time to visit a Christmas tree farm. This year’s visit was Monday at Isom Tree Farm north of Guthrie Center on Highway 25.
“I love to visit Christmas tree farms in the summer to remind all of us this is the time of year when most of the work needs done,” Naig said. “Planting new trees, trimming and shaping existing trees, keeping trees watered and growing trees all happen in the summer heat.”
Isom Tree Farm is owned by Larry and Heather Isom, who have lived at Lake Panorama since 2005.
The farm was started by Larry’s parents, Roland and Laura Isom. They lived in California but planned to retire in Iowa and wanted to operate a tree farm. In 2010, Roland and Larry planted 1,200 sugar maples on the farm, which includes 13 acres, a house and large metal shed.
Roland retired in 2017 and moved to the farm full-time, joining Laura who had already made the move. Roland died nine months after his retirement. Larry and Heather later purchased the farm from Laura, who still lives in the house.
The farm visit started on the deck of Laura’s home, where Larry Isom shared the farm’s history with Naig and Iowa state Sen. Jesse Green.
One part of Roland Isom’s retirement plan was to make maple syrup from the sugar maples on the farm. The Isom family continues that annual tradition.
Nine years ago, the Isoms planted their first Christmas trees.
“It was always part of the plan to grow our own Christmas trees,” Larry said. “Christmas is an important holiday for our family.”
The family planted 300 evergreens that first year.
“About 30 of those survived,” Larry said. “We realized we had a lot to learn about growing Christmas trees. Now we have about 3,000 Christmas trees and offer seven different varieties.”
After that first year, the Isoms turned to the Iowa Christmas Tree Association where they found the information and mentoring they needed. Larry Isom has served on the association board for six years and is the current president.
This is the third year the Isoms will be open for customers to choose and cut their own Christmas trees. Fresh green wreaths, porch and table pots and other holiday decorations also will be available.
Christmas trees and other merchandise will be available starting Thanksgiving weekend, Friday, Nov. 27 through Sunday, Nov. 29. The farm also will be open a few weekends in December.
Naig praised the Isoms for welcoming classroom students and others to visit their farm and learn about maple syrup production and Christmas trees.
“What you’re doing here is agritourism,” he said. “We want more of this in Iowa. We want you to keep doing what you’re doing, and we want others to do this, too. You’re investing in a business that helps Iowa agriculture.”
Naig talked about the Choose Iowa grant program, now in its third year. The program is designed to identify, evaluate and financially support programs and services that add value to agricultural products and support alternative marketing strategies.
“Each year we’ve gotten grant requests totaling nearly $2.5 million, but we only have $500,000 available,” he said. “As we visit farms like this, we keep learning. We hear new ideas and see things that work well and create economic activity in rural Iowa. Perhaps we need to work with the Iowa Legislature to grow the Choose Iowa program.”
Naig is the 15th Iowa secretary of agriculture. He was first elected to the position in November 2018, re-elected in 2022 and now is running for a third term. Naig grew up on a family farm in northwest Iowa and graduated from Buena Vista University in Storm Lake.
