Farming with Family on the Christmas tree farm. The boys talk about growing up learning to work.

Hello rob here from the flanigan Homestead a lot of Uh you have been asked about christmas Trees uh one of the things you need to Know is how it affects the family And i’m proud of my family that i have Right here you haven’t seen them all On camera before i’m going to introduce Them real quickly And then we’re going to sit down around The table and just talk Their experiences growing up on the Christmas tree farm And just share the good and the bad and How Again i’ve been farming for almost 20 Years my oldest son is 24 My youngest is 19 and so they grew up Helping on the farm and so we’re going To talk about that so Hot mama as she’s known as right here Then troy Mckay his wife grace jacob Isaiah and reggie is an Adopted son not officially adopted but He lives with us as well And they’ve all had been on the farm Helped on the farm In various levels and so we’re going to Talk about How the farm affects the family and the Family affects the farm All right so i’m sitting at the dining Room table with my family here

These four boys have been my main crew For a lot of years One of the things that i want to say Before we get started is not only Have i enjoyed the christmas tree farm Because it’s been a financial benefit For us And it’s a way that my boys can learn to Work i can teach them to work And they can earn money with a flexible Schedule but Then when it comes harvest time people Have loved the trees and they Love my work crew right here and they Talk about how good workers i have how Helpful What great young men they are so not Only am i proud of my farm but i’m also More proud of my four boys And getting a chance to work with them And develop a business With my sons has been great so we’re Just going to talk about some of the Experiences Which many are good but not all are good And You’re going to hear some of our stories Today and we’re just going to start Talking and see what comes up All right so who wants to tell a story Any story good or bad Something that you enjoyed something you Didn’t like when i think of when i think Of the tree farm

Literally the first thing that comes to Mind every single time Is when we first the first year Troy and i shear trees and we were like Oh we got this we’re so ready we’re Gonna cut and do all this stuff and then Like all right but we’re gonna actually Get ready for this Like swing some blades in the front lawn Okay do this okay We’ll only do it for three hours and Then Three hours into it troy and i are Trying to sheer and we can’t even hold On to the knife and it’s flying out of Our hands So we can’t we can’t share near anybody Because The knife is just getting launched Behind us because there’s just no drip Anywhere Oh that was just great times i didn’t Try to start shooting left-handed which Just puts dents in the trees Still not as bad as eli That’s a good story but so he referred To it as completely true You go into that you haven’t sheared Since the last year and then you go out There to go shearing And that first day you blisters and then This muscle right here lifting it back Up it is dead so yeah we normally Breaking in shearing was a short day of

The first day and building up Is an important thing and you guys have Done a lot of sharing What were you going to say about eli’s Sharing I wouldn’t consider sure yeah Considering more of hacking at trees I think you just thought speed was good Because he was just swinging straight Down I swear there’s a few of the trees so Like obviously supposed to be a nice Angle out but he angled it Into the tree and so those trees weren’t Sold for A few years yeah unfortunately they can Recover but yeah i remember Going to the bank actually it was a Friday so i was paying everyone i went To the bank to pick up cash to pay all Of you And i came back and i drove up in the Truck and i see eli Swinging like it was a baseball bat at The tree you know i didn’t even get a Chance to go to the truck What are you doing but uh Anyway he did a number of good trees but I think he was just tired at that point Anything else my my first thing that Comes to my head is uh Is throwing the tops of the trees at Each other Each other being on top of the ladders

Having this like Probably foot and a half foot long [Laughter] Making sure that your brothers weren’t Looking so that you could hook it across The field Each other was so fun especially when You’re on top of a ladder So to be clear to those people on video When the trees get up to about seven to Eight feet tall to work the tops you Have to get on a ladder And then some trees the leader really Takes off when the nobles extend Sometimes three feet long sometimes There’s two So we’re cutting off this leadership Long and your brother’s on top of a Ladder a few Euros away and you gotta chuck and see If you can hit him in the back or in the Head Or whatever normally i don’t like a lot Of screwing around on the tree farm but Uh it was expected practice If you cut a long leader off you throw And see if you can hit a brother Yeah and then always the the good ones Of You get the 13-foot tree that you’re Trying to hold out of the middle of the Field and When we didn’t have the quads going it’s The 30-foot tree with like the

Like foot yeah Takes five minutes just to cut it down Let alone haul it out and Oh that was that was brutal six berries Always could thank them for that Yeah yeah good stuff Or the nigros yeah the nuggets would Always be the big ground but they would Get the ones Right in the front yeah that’s been part Of the learning experience too Was um how to shear the trees So that you didn’t have those big thick Trunks and that was quite a culling Process Getting rid of those yeah we are finally At the point that Well we have a few more of the big trunk Trees left but after This next couple years we will never Have to deal with that again hopefully Not ever have to deal with that again Anything else about how about the summer Work the handles the Shearing the don’t say catching Yeah so i think that i mean my I i didn’t like waking up early in the Summer time as a kid you like oh Sometimes i get to sleep in But uh though i the one nice thing about Like You gotta rule it once eight o’clock Hits then we can turn on the music And we’d we’d have the bose speaker

Hooked up to the car or whatever and We’d As soon as eight o’clock hit we didn’t Really care about the neighbors anymore And we just cranked the music and that Was fun to be able to listen to music And start working with Working doing that but yeah so why Didn’t you guys want me to mention Handles Because they suck because you’re bent Over or crawling on the ground Over the span of however many thousands Of trees And taking clippers around every Well that’s terrible absolutely that’s Terrible that’s probably the single Worst job in the entire farm Yeah yeah we’ve learned not to do all The handles in one day Try to get some handles done one day Some more in another day because Nobody wants to do handles all day long That’s so terrible That is bad news you need short people Around for that yeah Is that why you hired josiah Didn’t you guys get up early you used to Get up early and do Stuff on the trees shearing and then go To beaver strength Or go to your sports workouts and that Kind of stuff Getting done early in the day taught you

Guys good Get up early work out okay ethic Yeah i’d always try and i had a plan of He would drive one day and then i would Drive the other day and it never worked Out That way and i always say i’d always say Troy Troy can you drive today i’m really Tired Yeah sure sure i’ll drive today troy can You drive again today i’m really tired Again Yeah sure troy i’ll drive Yeah i would always ask you to drive and Yeah Even though it was supposed to be every Other day It was never that way it didn’t work Very well no That was one of the benefits that we had Definitely with the tree farm with me Being the boss and my sons needing to go To Sports camps or beaver strength or Whatever We could say we got to get this many Hours done in this amount of time and You guys Got it done and then go but it didn’t Require getting up early in the morning To make Both things but that was a benefit We we did also learn uh earlier is

Better because Trying to sheer trees in the middle of The like summer heat Is terrible yeah that is terrible Yeah i think joe consent’s table is Winter’s a lot more fun to be at the Tree farm than the summer Make a lot more money yeah yeah So uh i know troy had the bee instant Incident tell us about the bee incident Then you guys tell us your Reactions to it that was the one of the Most single most traumatic experiences Of my life Like i think uh i was How old was that probably 14 what now Maybe a little more than that Somewhere around there yeah driving me a 16 But i was cheering away on the note or Yeah on the nobles Minding my own business and i was just Sharing sharing sharing I looked back to call back to my dad or My dad called or have you called me or Something like that And i look back and all i see is like Four or five of these black hornets And just like hauling at me and it’s Like their stingers were already like Pointed at me so i’m like Yeah exactly and those things hit my Face Bam and like hit hit me right here on

The cheek And like the upper like like the temple Area And my face swelled up so bad like a Freaking oompa loompa And ah that was and then And then but i have like i have a knife And like these The clippers in my hand i can’t even get Them off my face i almost chopped my ear Off Trying to get them off my face trying to Get them off and Oh i i remember screaming out and You guys either not paying attention or Whatever Didn’t nobody really cared until i Wandered over and everybody’s like oh Boy And then you wanted me to get back to Work i’m like no i’m not working I’m done for the day i’m i’m sorry i’m Going home And then like adding on to that story Like my face Like after like two weeks finally was Like coming down from the swelling Maybe it’s a week it just felt longer But I went to jake’s house and stayed the Night at his house And i again got back to where my face Looked normal again but then i had slept On that side

Of my of my my body and so When i woke up in the morning like his Jody goes what’s wrong with your face It did it re-swollen again i had to Explain the whole situation and Yeah that was i didn’t know it’s not fun Was that around your there was some Party up here it must have been just Like The end of school year party or Something yeah and the school year part Of your My birthday party or whatever it was but Yeah Probably your birthday party because for Years you’re sharing late july Early august so yeah Being swollen faced when you’re trying To have a birthday party it’s not fun Wasn’t there a year um and it was I think opening day of the season of Um you cut season and uh Pearl had her piglets right in the Nativity didn’t she Yeah she gave birth during yeah The tree season yeah and um and Everybody got to see brand new piglets There at the farm And um that was just super fun and the Fact that she had them right Next to the manger scene in the nativity Set area there i thought that was pretty Fun Yes do any of you guys remember uh

Building the nativity scene or the major Scene for the petting zoo Do you remember what the weather was Like that day it’s super cold Super cold and wet now you guys were Complaining at the time and it was Probably one of those most miserable Days To work uh it was just barely above Freezing It’s everything was frozen over from the Night before it was above freezing so It was raining at 33 degrees And muddy and everything and you guys Wanted to go home and i was Uh i don’t want to say sadistically but Somewhat happy that it was miserable Because it was one of those days where We had to get it done it was the only Day and it was a chance for you guys to Learn that Sometimes you just have to get things Done no matter what Is going on and we had to stay there and Get the job done and And i was miserable with you guys was Like yeah It was just one of the lessons i wanted My boys to learn you know we have Flexibility because i’m the boss and Quite often we could Go and do things at a different time but I was actually kind of happy that it was Miserable and we were going to learn

That We said we’re going to get it down today We’re going to get it done today no Matter what I don’t know how much you guys remember That but it was just like okay here we Go Yeah you guys have learned so much about Customer service on the tree farm um Dealing with Um happy customers and not so happy Customers But um giving great customer service no Matter what Crazy customers irrational No that you’ve just learned some really Good work ethic Out there too not that you didn’t have Good work ethic before but you learned a Lot about work ethic out there So talking about the harvest season That’s Just like every farmer just like your Dad loves harvest season on the potato Farm or alfalfa We love harvest season you guys enjoy it More than everything else too But i really enjoy that time and then If people don’t know we go out and Someone can just point to a tree we’ll Go out we’ll cut it down for you we’ll Haul it out we’ll shake it we’ll put it On the car And send you on their way and our

Service is good and far You know unfortunately my boys are going To be moving on soon and we gotta Teach people the ropes on how to do good Service as Uh i’m gonna have to get a new crew but Uh people love that But uh any stories you wanna share i Know people just loved our service and And I got one as i mentioned at the start of This One of my proudest moments people like All your trees are so nice your trees Are so nice we love your farm you know We always come back The petting zoo the hot chocolate Everything that makes it special but Then Just even what makes me more proud is You’re these all your boys yeah My boys they’re such good workers They’re so nice they’re so And um you know i love having a good Tree farm but then to compliment my sons Uh i enjoyed much more and doing the Whole process with you guys So anything stories you want to share or What you like First of all well while i’m thinking About it what’s you guys get pretty good Tips sometimes what’s the most tips you Got in One day you guys remember as a group so

The tips come in you guys Yeah as long as a group i remember like One day i had like almost well Uh probably like 120 in tips if not more We It was one of those 200 and somewhat Tree days and You know people saw how hard we were Working i know for a fact that We got up over 200 in tips per person Which was i was there for that day i Remember That yeah jacob jacob was there Derek was there probably you know i Think so It was probably a big sales day and we Weren’t at a full cruise so exactly People felt bad for us and they just Kept on loading us up so Yeah there’s days for hours you guys are Just running and running and running and Loading up and uh but people see you Doing that and if they know there’s a Tip jar It does go well for you guys there barry And i joke sometimes that you guys are Making all the money we grew the trees We We own the land but you guys are making All the money but it’s good to see you Guys getting those tips When it’s uh coming in i distinctly Remember that day because that That day was so busy that um you know

What like i said we were just Sprinting around the entire place well Um Talking about fun customer service and Massive tree trunks Um one of those days we we had I cut down the tree and we’re you know It’s not really that big of a tree But they were like hey you know could You could you square this up so i can Fit in my stand it’s like yeah totally i Can do that Um so i square it up how does that look Great um the husband comes over and goes Oh i don’t think that’s gonna fit in our Stand can you make that a little smaller It’s like okay i can do that so i just Went on the same lines and Just made it a little smaller and then He’s like oh that’ll perfectly fit The wife goes yeah but that doesn’t look Very good square Can you square it again so it’s like Going to be like eight sides Yeah yeah i can do that so i do that Again And then the husband goes well no it Looks awkward can you Can you hit it again and so i basically Had to make this thing a perfect circle And i just feel bad because i’m sitting There just Working on this one tree while everybody Else is sprinting around me

I was like here we go all right finally Got the tree out and got back to running After it but That was uh that was an interesting Little experience How many of you were there the day that We had to load like five trees on top of The one vans Right here oh my god i think all of us Were there Were you guys all there i was trapped Underneath all those yeah Yeah we had that one cause for the one And five i think it wasn’t the best yeah I don’t know grant it was a big van but We they wanted five trees on top of the Van and We worked and worked and we were four by Four elected Yeah yeah and then Yeah and i know barry was getting mad at The time we got all these customers and Our entire crew is over there trying to Get Trees on the van and say we’re almost Done but uh and so we got up And started pulling you guys back Basically had to let the guy know hey we Can’t Work on this all day for you yeah but uh Anyway yeah that was interesting i think I still have pictures of that somewhere I’m gonna have to Pull those up that was pretty fun it was

Just so high up there too Not only was it five on top of a van but It’s so high Yeah lifted van i don’t think this was The lifted man this is just a conversion I think it was because I climbed up on the fence as high as i Could go and i was still struggling to Get up Yeah like work up there Any fond memories of the campfire or Chili That’s always the best time yeah that’s Always yeah sitting around the campfire And Get this smoke sound hoping the seahawks Are still playing though Yeah yeah checking fantasy football So what we’re referring to is uh when The boys are working there’s a campfire Near the cabin where people pay and Everything And that’s where jacob resides we’ll Just uh oh No we were all thank you man [Music] Jacob worked out i’ll worked all of you This last yeah just last year he did Yeah anyway but it was leap frogging Over the Trailer and the quad we’ll cook hot dogs We put a Big old gallon can of chili on there and Just

Let soups and chilies cook up and uh Smoked salmon yeah and barry usually Brings out smoked salmon my partner’s a Good fisherman And uh just working on that sometimes You just run run run you can’t have a Chance to eat and then you just take a Spoonful and keep going and then It goes busy busy busy and also Everybody’s gone and you’re like Oh okay you get a bite to eat and then All of a sudden Just trucks start pulling down the Driveway here they come and oh We love trucks as opposed to cars and Vans and everything Please pull up in a truck when you come To a christmas tree farm and let’s just Throw it in the back instead of Tying it on the car or better even you Had a trailer On the back of your truck yeah but those Are good things So be quiet let me talk and then we’ll Go guys I’ll say it actually okay One two three Someone say cut say cut cut Okay now you say lights camera lights Click click the thing action Okay i’m sitting down right now with my Four boys we’re laughing because the Camera crew Is cracking us up but uh um

We’re gonna talk about cut That’s great All right