Join the Wisconsin Christmas Tree Producers Association (WCTPA)- growers and suppliers to the industry

WCTPA Membership

Our fiscal year runs from July 1st through June 30th. If you are joining between March 30th and June 30th, your membership will be credited to the upcoming year. Please choose the membership appropriate to your situation. The info letters give you more details on that particular option.

Thank you for reaching out to learn more about the wonderful world of Christmas tree growing! We are always thrilled to add more Christmas tree producers to our ranks and are happy to help new growers get started. After all, the more options people have for purchasing a real tree, the better it is for our entire industry. And the more people turn to real trees for their holiday decorating, the better it is for the environment.

Let’s start with a reminder of what makes Christmas tree production such a satisfying vocation. As you no doubt already know and appreciate, a Christmas tree grower’s business is about much more than just selling trees—it’s about creating cherished, happy memories. People visit a Christmas tree farm for an experience. They come for the sights, the sounds, the smells, and time together … and at the end of their visit, they take home a beautiful real tree. It’s an honor to be part of their holiday traditions, and that’s why the state’s Christmas tree producers work together to ensure that each is providing the best experience possible.

To that end, the most important step a new grower can take in launching a Christmas tree operation is to become a member of the Wisconsin Christmas Tree Producers Association (WCTPA), where you can take full advantage of all the experience and expertise shared by other tree producers in the state. Membership opens you up to a wide range of invaluable resources and a regular stream of up-to-date information and advice.

For a beginning grower, possibly the most valuable component of the WCTPA is the annual summer and winter convention. This is where you’re most likely to find answers to any questions you may have, and also answers to many more questions that you didn’t even know you had. The conventions offer a wealth of information and learning experiences through technical sessions covering a variety of growing issues. Whereas individual tree growers may be understandably protective of their secrets and therefore reluctant to share them when consulted individually, our professional speakers are there for the express purpose of arming all growers with the information they need to succeed. The conventions also include trade shows, association business meetings, and a plantation tour during the summer gathering. In addition to the formal sessions and features, the conventions offer an opportunity to mingle with and learn from other tree growers in the state. Here’s some testimony on the value of attending the conventions from Chuck and Marianne Kass of Harmony Hill Evergreens LLC: “In retrospect, neither Marianne nor I can recall a single meeting, summer and winter that we’ve attended, that we, as growers, did not come away with helpful suggestions and information. The information presented by the experts as well as interacting with other members has been invaluable.”

Membership in WCTPA gives you access to a wealth of other resources as well:

•  WCTPA keeps abreast of all the industry news you need to know regarding fire codes, Christmas tree laws, labor issues, and rules and regulations from the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection and the Department of Natural Resources. This information is disseminated regularly through our quarterly journal and e-mails. The journal also includes articles on tree production, feature stories, association news, and platforms for buying/selling/trading equipment, supplies, and nursery stock.
• The organization publishes an annual Membership Directory that will help keep you in touch with fellow member growers across the state as well as other key contacts. The directory lists all members - growers, and vendors - with their contact information, and also the WCTPA board of directors and officers.
• Membership also gives you a subscription to the Great Lakes Christmas Tree Journal.
• WCTPA maintains a website (www.RealTree4me.com  or www.christmastrees-wi.org)  with tools to help you promote your business, where you can list your farm and the products you sell. The website includes information for the media and educational materials useful for teachers and librarians. It ranks at the top of the list in search engines.
• WCTPA engages in constant outreach efforts that benefit all growers. The organization works with the National Christmas Tree Growers and also partners with Wisconsin Agri-Tourism Association and other groups that affect our industry. All the latest information gleaned from these sources, including marketing and promotion tips, is shared with members in our publications. And speaking of marketing, membership in WCTPA enables you to benefit from the organization’s larger-scale promotions of real Christmas trees, including appearances at public events such as the Wisconsin State Fair, county fairs, Farm Technology Days, and Alice in Dairyland activities.

And finally, WCTPA maintains an office where anyone — growers, consumers, and media — can turn to with questions. If you have a question and can’t find the answer on our website or within our publications, you can always call the office. If we don’t have the answer, we’ll direct you to the appropriate contact.

We sincerely hope you will take advantage of all there is to learn through WCTPA. This is truly the best way to get your Christmas tree farm off to the best possible start. You can find the membership form below. If you have any questions when filling it out, please don’t hesitate to ask. And welcome aboard!

View Current Membership List