If you've ever hung a big, green, beautiful holiday wreath from a T&C market that looked like it came straight out of a faerie tale, there's a good chance it was grown on Bob and Nikki Bacon's farm. A Christmas tree farm to be exact. Established in 1978, Bacon’s Christmas Tree Farm spans nearly 60 acres of land in Bremerton, with rows of Noble, Douglas, Spruce, Grand, Nordmann and Fraser Fir. The Bacons do brisk business in Choose-n-Cut trees during the holidays—the farm will welcome almost 2,000 people on Thanksgiving weekend alone. However, Town & Country guests will know them best for their Christmas wreaths, which have been a staple in our markets since the 1980s.
In addition to fresh-cut trees and standard arrangements, the farm also takes custom orders. Robert gestures to a seven foot wreath in the corner of the workshop. “This one,” he says, “is for the Town & Country in Mill Creek.” Though impressive, it’s not even the largest wreath they make; outside, a massive eight-and-a-half foot wreath hangs from the rafters of the workshop.
A Multigenerational Business
Like Town & Country Markets, Bacon’s is family owned and operated, with several generations of Bacons involved in the business in one capacity or another. Bob, who will be 85 in February, still makes occasional deliveries to customers, but most of the day-to-day operations are now handled by Bob and Nikki’s son, Robert, and his wife, Barb.
Robert didn’t set out to run the farm; his original plan was to be a pilot, “but I have terrible vision and I’m colorblind,” he says wryly. Instead, he spent his career working in corporate tax, which is also where he met Barb.
Even so, Bacon’s Christmas Tree Farm has been a constant in Robert and Barb’s lives, with the couple consistently coming to the farm on the weekends to help. During COVID, Barb and Robert began spending more time helping out around the farm, gradually taking on increasing levels of responsibility, until they officially took over for the elder Bacons after Robert’s retirement this summer.
Inside Santa’s Workshop
The first thing visitors will notice as they crunch down the gravel drive toward the farm are the orderly rows of evergreen trees stretching as far as the eye can see, tiny dark-eyed junco birds flitting madly in and out of their branches. The second is a large, white farm-style building, affectionately dubbed Santa’s Workshop, which is the center of the action during the busy holiday season.
Inside the workshop, branches of juniper, cypress, noble fir, and incense cedar are stacked four feet high along one side of the room. Giant contractor bags full of pinecones sit at the ready, waiting to embellish finished arrangements.
Along the back wall of the workshop, several family members and seasonal employees stand assembling swags, wreaths, and centerpieces. In the corner, an employee swiftly assembles wreath after wreath, his hands moving improbably fast. On an average day, he can make as many as 200 wreaths.
A rhythmic whooshing, not unlike the sound of a washing machine, can be heard from somewhere overhead. On the upper level of the workshop, another employee is feeding boughs into a garland machine. The machine grabs the boughs and wraps each segment tight against the next, spitting them out the other end like a fragrant green rope.
The Freshest Wreaths
Next up on the tour is the cooler room, where stacks of wooden bins containing wreaths reach all the way to the ceiling. The Bacons begin harvesting boughs two to three weeks later than most other farms, meaning their arrangements are greener and fresher by the time Christmas rolls around. The chilly atmosphere in the cooler room ensures the finished wreaths remain in pristine condition when they reach T&C Markets around the region.
All Together, Now
Work on the farm is very much a family affair, with the extended family gathering to help out during the busy season. Aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends all pitch in, lending a hand on-site and making deliveries.
“It’s like a village,” Robert says.
While the period between Nov. 15 and Dec. 14 is undoubtedly busy, the Bacons carve out time to celebrate, often gathering for a barbecue the weekend after Thanksgiving.
What does the future hold for Bacon’s Christmas Tree Farm? Robert says he hopes that his niece or one of the cousins will one day take over from him and Barb. “This land means a lot to our family. We’ve had multiple generations on this farm.”