Was it the pie or the infectious smile that caused Rob Mulvey to spontaneously leave his business card behind at the diner for the waitress and hope for a call? While I don’t know the details, I do know that she kept his card and called him, thus beginning the journey of Rob and Tammie Mulvey and the building of their Christmas tree and nursery business and home in Hodgdon.
Their journey began in 1997 when they both moved to Littleton from central Maine. They managed what was then Sunrise Tree Farms along with working for other tree farms. After a few years and a lot of time spent finding the right property, in 2002 the Mulveys found a home on a nine-acre piece of land on the Calais Road in Hodgdon. Soon after, they planted Christmas trees on their own land, officially marking the beginning of Pleasant View Tree Farm and what is now a diverse and growing nursery business serving many in the local and northern Aroostook communities.
Tammie comes from a family where her parents and nearly all of her six siblings own their own business so she was well prepared for beginning one of her own with Rob. They developed a business plan but like all good plans, they use it as a guide and allow the plan to evolve based on customer needs and interests.
From the initial planting of Christmas trees on their land in 2003, they first expanded to growing fall mums, selling those at their home stand and at the Houlton Community Farmers Market and making holiday wreathes, garlands and centerpieces. Last year they began selling many different shrubs and trees to the public, adding such personal service as providing local deliveries and extra touches like wrapping newly budded fruit trees with burlap to protect them from wind damage during transport.
Tammie stresses that their goal is to provide a better experience for the customer. While the customer may learn things like how to properly plant their new shrub or tree, Rob and Tammie also learn from the customer and build their business around those conversations.
This fall, with the help of a micro-loan from the Farm Service Agency, the Mulveys built a greenhouse where they will overwinter their tree stock to test the hardiness and quality, grow out fall flowers, and provide a protected space for the rest of their nursery stock.
Another first for the Mulveys this year was the need to hire seasonal employees. With Tammie holding down a full-time job and Rob managing their “choose and cut” operation in Monticello and the expanding operation in Hodgdon, it’s no surprise. They also rely on their son who lives in Bangor but comes up each weekend to run the Christmas tree season.
Rob noted that while their son likes the extra cash, he also enjoys the camaraderie shared with others during the hard work involved in maintaining thousands of trees.
Careful planning, some learning curves and building relationships within the community have helped develop Pleasant View Tree Farm into a viable local business. You can visit them for spring planting needs at 1190 Calais Road , call 532-4769 or visit www.pleasantviewtreefarm.com.
Angie Wotton loves her work as district manager for the Southern Aroostook Soil and Water Conservation District. She also raises pastured pork and vegetables with her husband on their small West Berry Farm in Hammond. She can be reached 532-9407 or via e-mail at angela.wotton@me.nacdnet.net.
