Christmas In July

Every year people look around at countless trees to find the perfect one, the one that will truly bring the holiday spirit in their household. Have you ever wondered who are the people that perfectly deliver you those beautiful trees or what they have to do to grow them so good. Well in Bloomsburg, PA there is a plantations that encompasses over four hundred and fifty acres of land. The plantation grows nothing but the best Douglas and Fraser fir Christmas trees. The plantation are owned by one man, Mark Zelanzy, under the name Quaker State Plantations.

When one is leaving Bloomsburg driving south towards Danville, one would turn down this hidden road called Grovania Drive heading up a beautiful mountain alive with forest and wild creatures. While heading up the winding road, one will notice acres upon acres of pure green fir Christmas trees that are lined up in rows curving over the many hills that reside on the mountain. The trees are no more than a feet apart from each other sometimes standing at the outstanding height of ten feet. The view would remind a person of obedient soldiers standing in military formation.

Quaker State, a major award winning grower in Christmas trees, carries an inventory of more than one-half million trees. The plantation has over thirty years of adaptive history with the help of Mark Zelanzy. Zelanzy, who not only owns the plantation but manages the all of the plantation, has a Masters in forestry and over twenty years of practical experience. The fifty-six year old with brown and patches of grey hair dedicates countless hours every year to produce some of the most gorgeous trees and supply them to customers who have been coming back for years.

Ariel View Of Plantation

"The work may be hard and sometimes even frustrating but at the end of the day, it's all worth it," exclaimed Mark Zelanzy. He explained to me the process he goes through every year to ensure that his trees are in tip top shape ready to be packaged for shipment. During the months of July, August, and possibly September, Zelanzy hires around forty employees to endure the next few months. Their seasonal work on the plantations are crucial for the trees to become perfect for shipping season. They are tasked with trimming all the trees on the plantation so when November rolls around, they are not unevenly grown on the sides and the top is not too long.

The conditions that the employees have to endure during that time are difficult and not every person can handle it. They start their morning by waking up at six in the morning at one of two of the houses that are provided to them by the company. The main house which has been located next to the company's office. The other house is across the street but down a hilly dirt road next to countless rows of trees. They began their shift at seven, traveling together in short buses that are driven by the supervisors to the part of the plantation that they are designated to complete that day. 

They sharpen their grey trimmers with red on the bottom of the handles. The clippers come with adjusters so they can reach the taller part of the trees. Most of the employees wear boots, khakis or jeans, and a long sleeve shirt to prevent the trees from contacting the skin, which would cause itching. The workers are so close to the trees, with some days being above ninety degrees, making breathing very difficult and can also cause them to pass out from the heat.

Zelanzy understands the conditions from personal experience and takes more than plenty of precautions to make sure none of his employees fall victim to them. He supplies the short buses with water containers the size of those used at football games filled with ice cold water. His supervisors constantly remind the employees to drink water to keep up with the heat, as well as check their trimming to make sure they are not making consistent mistakes. "Safety is a big part of the job and we make sure that if we see an employee struggling that we stop them and have them take a break to catch their breath," explained one of the supervisors. They always want their workers to know that they are not going to push them beyond their limits.

Quaker State, an experienced plantation that provides quality fir Christmas trees and prides itself on its customer relations. They have performed unsurpassed proficiency in filling out customers' orders. Managed by an experienced team, lead by Mark Zelanzy, they take their customers' request as serious as their employees' safety. In the heart of Pennsylvania's Christmas tree growing country, you can know that your tree is handled with the utmost care and responsibility this Christmas holiday.