When the first bouts of Covid-19 hit the news, people went into a frenzy, leading to one of the greatest social isolations in modern history. As the first year ended, many were asking, Will we be able to have the holiday traditions and connect with people like we once did?
And what would happen to the local mom-and-pop businesses that rely on in-person demand? Well, it seems that some people are willing to drive the extra mile to their local mountain top for that feeling of home.
In 1969, Jim Beck made his first Christmas tree sale at Patchen Farms, located on Old Santa Cruz Highway. It started out as a hobby until it became his main occupation in 1995. I ask, “Why do you own a farm?” He answers, “It started out as a hobby, because I didn’t like living in the city. So, I had a choice between wine, grapes, kiwis or…Christmas trees.”
Evidently, he chose Christmas trees. It became an overgrown hobby so he kept buying more properties and planting more trees. Acre wise, his farm is not the biggest. But sales wise, he says, it’s the leader. I ask, “What makes you better?” He says, “We serve hot cider, we do free wine tasting, we have bonfires every day and Santa visits. We tie people’s trees for free. We net every tree for free.”
Tech for Trees
Now in two separate locations in the mountains above Los Gatos, due to popularity, Jim and daughter Kelley own and run Patchen Farms. Jim’s background is in high-tech and entrepreneurship. He grew up in the semiconductor industry, and he combined optics and electronics in his work.
Building on that love for technology, he developed high-tech farm equipment. He sold his business to John Deere in 1995. It was called Patchen, and he developed a core technology that was used in several patents. His first product was called a weed seeker: it would look at the ground and not spray any herbicide until it saw a green portion, but not on the bare ground. It was able to do that by measuring the reflection in its path.
Jim says, “Being an inventor, having a tree, taking it home and putting it in your living room can be a real hassle. So, I developed four products called the ‘Hassle Busters.’ The first one is called Crystal Fresh: an organic polymer, mix it with other stuff, and it becomes like a powder, and you put the powder in your stand. So instead of putting water, you put ice cubes. As it melts, it turns into a powder, then into a gel. The incentive is to hydrate the trees without water.”
Jim and Kelley provide it for free with every tree and also sell it online on oldsummit.com. His second invention, “Fresh Patch,” also keeps trees fresh without water.
The third invention, Bio Bag, is a biodegradable plastic bag that helps prevent trees from making a mess. And the fourth invention: biodegradable tree stands made from wood and wood fiber. As I watch Jim in his baseball cap and matching Patchen Farms sweater tell me about these inventions, it’s clear this is more than just a business for him.
Room to Breathe
Driving across Summit Road to George Peacock’s Christmas Tree Farm I met Eric and Lisa Hoffner—current owners of 25 years, and the third owners since conception. I got to see a whole other side of the mountain with sweeping views down to Lexington Reservoir. I see their home nestled on top of the farm and ask them about the last few years. Eric immediately responds: “Our busiest year was 2020 Covid, in 25 years of ownership.”
“We had to follow county protocol,” Eric responds. “But we made it work and would have all types of people come to us, like college students from Santa Clara University asking for a 30-foot tree.” I say, “That must be quite expensive, no?” Eric replies, “No. Our competitive advantage is we price all our trees (at) one price. Any size, any species.”
Lisa and Eric explain that the second owners of the farm sold the land to them because they didn’t want to see it developed. With all the development going on in the region, open land is scarce. “People come up and tell us that they’re amazed by how fresh the air is,” they explain. “If nothing else, it’s an investment for the health of people to have a place where people can come with their dogs to explore.”
The last stop on my route is Summit Christmas Tree Farm. The only Christmas tree farm that rents rather than owns its land is run by Debbie and Mike Livingston. “My father started planting trees when I was only 5 years old, on Skyline, 65 years ago,” Debbie says. Summit began running as a business in the late ’60s. I ask, “How were the last few years of business?”
Debbie replies, “Covid turned it around because it made people feel safe. We had plateaued to a lower amount of people before 2020, maybe picking up at lots of Home Depot. Then with Covid, they came to see us.”
In fact, she adds, over the last four years, sales have doubled.
“Though this season is just beginning, this year has a high amount as well,” she says. “Even though some other farms don’t accept credit cards, our farm reaps the benefit of technology, and actually relies on it. Credit cards make a wonderful addition. Helps get people in and out.”
To hear a business owner who’s been part of the business for most of her life tell me that revenues have doubled since Covid-19, I wonder, are people going to mountain tops just for Christmas trees? Or are they finding something more?
Debbie concludes, “Covid seems to have reminded people of what we all really desire, which is connection and authenticity. It’s nice to have a business where people are happy to see you.”
Right here in Los Gatos, we have mom-and-pop businesses that withstood both highs and lows—the steep drops in the economy, and the decline of social interaction. When feelings of belonging come into play, it seems there is no mountain too high to feel as one.
