8-Year-Old Chatham Boy Starts Local Christmas Tree Farm

CHATHAM, NJ — Whether you choose to get into the holiday spirit before or after Thanksgiving, it's safe to say that now is the time when most people start pulling out those Christmas decorations.

Obtaining a locally grown tree in Chatham Borough has become more difficult since the closure of Dixiedale Farm, but one local second grader has devised a plan to change that this holiday season.

Max Brown, an eight-year-old boy from Chatham Borough, wrote to the mayor last year after learning that Dixiedale Farm in Chatham had closed and asked to start his own Christmas tree farm from his home.

"I am sad because they took the farm away," he wrote in the letter addressed to Mayor Thaddeus Kobylarz.

In response, Mayor Kobylarz stated that he admired his spirit and invited the Brown family to the Chatham Borough Office to receive a proclamation authorizing them to start their own Christmas tree farm for the 2022 season.

"I want you to know that I share your sadness over the closing of our beloved Christmas Tree Farm at the old Dixiedale site on Hillside Avenue. This is such a terrible loss to our community. There are so many disappointed people in Chatham right now," Mayor Kobylarz said.

Brown was originally inspired to make their own tree farm after noticing that their front yard had enough space for Christmas trees, his father, Christopher Brown, told Patch.

"He asked me if he could start a tree farm, and I said it was up to the town, but assumed they would say no. They said yes, which made him so happy. From there he built a business plan, got help from his school and was off and running with his idea for a more sustainable Christmas tree farm," Christopher Brown said.

The business, dubbed "Fairmount Farm," took off this year, with more than 70 trees ordered and nearly half sold before the season began, thanks to farmers' market activities and Max's school informing all of the parents.

Each tree will be delivered with lights and ornaments, then picked up and replanted/recycled for the following years, according to Christopher Brown.

Tree selection will run until Dec. 24, with deliveries beginning on Tuesday, Nov. 29. The sustainable farm is located at 228 Fairmount Avenue, and residents can reserve a tree by clicking here.

"Max is a goofy, super curious kid who is always asking great questions but coming up with fantastic solutions for everyday problems, I think he is an inventor and he enjoys working with his hands, and exploring," Christopher Brown said.