Hello friends,

The 2025 Christmas tree season is officially in the books… and we’re finally catching our breath.

First and foremost—thank you.

To everyone who came out, brought family and friends, cut a tree, drank hot chocolate, rode the tractor, or just stopped by to support us—thank you. Our farm continues to grow year after year, and our total tree sales have doubled every single year since we started. That’s not something we take lightly, and we’re incredibly grateful for the support. And a special shout out to all the Veterans that came to support a fellow veteran, its awesome to see the "Veteran Wall" growing with signatures.

Looking Back on the 2025 Season 🎄

This year brought a lot of new things, and the feedback meant a lot to us.

• The hayride story was a hit, and we loved hearing how much folks enjoyed it. We’ll likely do something similar again this year—maybe with a twist—to keep things fun and engaging.
• The Grinch made an appearance and caused just enough trouble to keep things interesting. No arrests were made (though there was a state trooper waiting on the highway at one point). The Grinch wisely retreated back onto the property and avoided handcuffs altogether.

All in all, it was a great season and one we’re proud of.

Off-Season Life on the Farm 🔥🪵

Once we closed for the season, it was time to clean up and slow down a bit.

• The fire pit is coming down, and all of the stump logs are being turned into firewood.
• Gregory has been doing most of the cutting and splitting and may be starting a small firewood side business—we’ll see where that goes.
• General cleanup is happening around the farm… slowly. It’s cold, and I’m not in a hurry. That’s one of the perks of February.

That said, spring planting is creeping up, and there’s a field that needs serious work—root removal, tilling, and prep before anything can go in the ground.

Cedar Trees → New Projects 🌲

Those cedar trees we saved finally made it to the sawmill, and they turned into something pretty cool:

• A new bar area for the man cave / shop
• A new outdoor dog house for Sheba and Dungey

Win-win.

Dog update:

• Sheba is still destroying anything left unattended.
• Dungey is still sleeping his life away.
• Nothing has changed.

New YouTube Video 🎥

We recently posted a new video on our YouTube channel, Kelso Creeks, covering:

• Renting a bulldozer for the first time
• Figuring out how to use it (or not)
• All the chaos that came with it
• How we created a brand-new field

👉 The link is below—check it out if you haven’t already. And if you’re not subscribed, we’d appreciate it.

What’s Coming in 2026 🌻🌼

We’ve already ordered seeds, so step one is done. Step two… planting.

• We’re planning a sunflower field, both to enjoy and potentially to invite folks out in the spring and summer for photos.
• We’re also adding wildflowers, especially in the new field that won’t be fully planted with trees for another three years. It should be a really pretty addition to the farm.

More updates to come as we get things in the ground.

Big Upgrade Ideas (Now We Have to Choose…) 🚜⚡

Every year we try to tackle one big improvement. This year, the list is long:

• Bringing permanent power out to the store (better lighting, safer evenings, possibly longer hours)
• Adding walking bridges across the creek to make moving trees and people easier
• Fixing the low-water crossing at the entrance (likely with a culvert—this one’s tricky due to the main water line)
• Improving the parking lot to avoid muddy situations (and tractor rescues)

That’s a lot of time, money, and effort—so we’ll probably pick one or two and keep moving forward like we always do: a little better every year.

Life Outside the Farm

• Chastity is full-speed ahead in real estate
• I’m still grinding away at work
• Gregory is back in school and doing great

One proud-dad moment: Gregory made the front page of the Elk Valley Times after winning a wrestling match at Lincoln County. There’s a link and photo below—we’re incredibly proud of him.

Help Us Spread the Word ❤️

If you enjoy following along, we’d love it if you:

• Forwarded this email to a friend
• Encouraged them to subscribe to our newsletter
• Follow us on Facebook & Instagram
• Subscribe to our YouTube channel

We promise not to spam—just big updates and behind-the-scenes farm life.

Thank you again for supporting our family and our farm. We’re learning, improving, and trying to make Kelso Creeks a place where families can come make memories. And yes—I’m still working on getting better at shearing trees. The Virginia Pines should look much better this year.

Bear with us, and thanks for being part of this journey.

— Doug

Kelso Creeks 🌲