Larry Downey did not yet have his driver’s license as he maneuvered trucks and tractors through the rows of evergreens stretching out as far as the eye could see on his father’s land.
Ten years earlier, her uncle was changing the lot of generations to come by spotting a business opportunity in the Christmas trees. The latter, then immigrating to the United States, bought conifers in Ontario to resell them in New York. His brothers followed suit in the following years, before buying land in Quebec and planting their own trees there.
Decades later, history repeats itself. Two of Larry Downey’s three children, now adults, are engaged in the family business that stretches over 300 acres in the valleys of Hatley, in the Eastern Townships.
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
Larry Downey’s three children (right) grew up in the fir forest. Until the age of 12, they had to weed two hours a day before being allowed to play. They eventually joined the family business. Jimmy Downey, 30 (left), studied agronomy and is taking over full time.
With his wife Marlène, the former computer scientist bought one of the patriarch’s lands in 1993, and rented others to plant his first coniferous shoots. Over the years, activities such as the making of fir wreaths and pick-your-own for the general public have been added to the culture of fir trees.
“Christmas, for us, is the time of year when we can finally rest! »Says Larry Downey. Because before getting there, there is no shortage of work. “The days start early and you don’t know when they end,” he adds. It’s work every day from the end of October. But long before, and throughout the year, the fir forest will have been the subject of uninterrupted care.
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
Marlène Downey among the many Christmas wreaths made on site
Tree cultivation 101
The Downey balsam is both nursery and balsam since it works from seeds, unlike the majority of growers who start their cultivation with plants. She hires three people all year round. This figure triples in the spring when planting and selling young plants to other growers. Up to 30 foreign workers are added during peak periods.
After five years, the young plants are ready to be sold or transplanted to the field, where they will spend another eight years in the fir forest.
A total of 13 years were needed to produce an eight foot tree, the height of an average tree.
The stages in the life of a tree
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PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
The seeds are planted in flower beds. In the first year, they will only grow an inch or two and double their size over the next three years.
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PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
After three years, the shoots are about 8 cm and can be transferred to the nursery in the spring. They will take two more years to reach the size of about 40 cm which allows them to be replanted in the field or to be sold to other fir trees.
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PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
Once the buds have hatched, the trees are pruned to keep a perfectly conical shape. The process, which lasts all summer, ensures good growth and a full habit. In order to limit competition with other plants, the rows are mowed twice during the summer. In August, the inventory is made. The trees are classified by category according to their shape and their density: a blue ribbon indicates a “quality no 1 ”; a red, the top quality.
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PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
The fir plantation shifts into high gear in October for the end-of-year sprint. The season begins with the cutting of branches at the bottom of the trees. The longest branches are used to make wreaths.
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PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
Cutting of mature conifers takes place in a one to two week schedule and should be done by mid-November, before frost or snow will interfere with cutting and cause trees to crack. It is when cutting that the smell is revealed, mainly that of balsam fir or Fraser, the two species traditionally used. The fir plantation has been experimenting, on a small scale, with other varieties for several years, including Korean trees with a lemony scent.
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PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
The trees are packaged in the field using an artisanal wrapper made by the owner.
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PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
The trees are transported to the shaded courtyard, sheltered from the wind. From there, they will be exported to the United States and the provinces of Western Canada, or sold to local garden centers. Some 25,000 trees are harvested per year and migrate according to sales from mid-November until the beginning of December. And just as much will be replanted the following year.
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The vagaries of the profession
Times have changed since his father planted trees, notes Larry Downey, and even since his son, Jimmy Downey, an agronomist specializing in plant pathologies, joined the team, injecting new ideas and practices. focused on organic farming. The application of herbicide, which is sometimes necessary, is now limited by the addition of ground covers such as fall oats, mustard or weeds, so many grasses that were once bent on weed. Since then, the soil has been enriched with 1 to 1.5% organic matter per year.
“It’s a long harvest that requires a lot of maintenance and farm equipment. You have to be patient and you have to be resistant to uncertainties. Some years are more difficult than others, ”agrees Larry Downey.
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
Mother Nature is hitting us low. We are not captains, and less and less with global warming.
Larry Downey, co-owner of the Sapinière Downey
Some trees will never make it to maturity. In 2020, at the beginning of May, particularly hot weather and the absence of rain caused losses of 30% of new plants. “And I’m lucky, for some it was 50%,” he says, philosopher. This is agriculture. Over five years, we have three good years, one average and one bad. Expect to lose money every fifth year. ”
For too long, the trees have been sold at too low a price, he said. The price is now increasing by 10 to 15% per year to restore the value of the product, and because it is becoming scarce. All of these factors have discouraged many producers, while many have retired.
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
The future of the Christmas tree
“Demand is on the rise. And we feel that consumers want to go back to traditions and encourage the local, and even more since the pandemic, ”says Larry Downey. He would never trade this profession which allows him to be free and in the great outdoors, he insists, deploring that the value of agricultural professions has been lost. “Fortunately, it’s coming back. ”
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
Freshly cut fir trees ready for distribution.
Each year, when it is time to cut, the farmer lets go of the trees he has taken care of for years with a pang in his heart. “The first day, I see my beautiful trees falling, and it takes me a couple of hours to get over it. But we can’t keep everything. He consoles himself at the idea of replanting others the following spring and contributing to the magic of Christmas, still alive with the Downeys who, like every year, will meet in the fir forest on December 24, with their family. enlarged. The youngest will have the honor of cutting the tree which will be at the heart of the celebration. The tradition continues.
Pick your own tree
The Downey Fir plantation has been open for pick-your-own for 15 years. “The first year, we sold 27 trees. Now it’s 1200! I no longer have time to rock! », Says its owner, laughing. Hand saws are provided to visitors who can walk around the plantation and have a picnic before choosing their tree and cutting it the old-fashioned way. U-picking takes place throughout the month of December until Christmas, by appointment, during the week.
Choose and keep your tree
PHOTO BERNARD BRAULT, PRESS ARCHIVES
A natural fir is normally sold unpacked, which allows you to see its port and condition. The branches should be even and full, with vibrant green thorns. If he’s pale, his needles break, or he has trunk wounds, move on to the next one. “Forget the recipes for sugar and aspirin that risk clogging the pores that irrigate the tree,” says Larry Downey, advising to cut a centimeter at the base of the trunk at the time of purchase to remove the plug of sap that has formed and which prevents the tree from watering. A 2 m tree drinks 1 to 2 L of water per day. To enjoy it for a long time, you can buy your tree from the end of November and leave it sheltered from the sun and the wind in a water boiler, until it is time to bring it inside in mid-December. . After the holidays, you can send it outside, where it will keep its color until spring, or even put it for recycling. Most municipalities collect it for mulch.
In numbers
68%
More than two-thirds of Canadian fir production takes place in Quebec, which is also the country’s largest exporter.
136
Number of producers established in Estrie, for a total area of 5,838 hectares. Estrie is the capital of fir production in Quebec.
1.77 million
Number of Quebec trees exported in 2020
98%
Almost all of the exported trees are destined for the American market. Others can be found as far away as in the Bahamas, Bermuda, Venezuela or Aruba.
Source: MAPAQ