Inman, GA |
Just outside the bustle of Atlanta, nestled in the quiet countryside of Fayette County, Rick Minter is busy preparing for the holiday season—putting the final touches on this year’s crop of Christmas trees. But for Minter, it’s more than just seasonal work. It’s a continuation of a nearly century-old family legacy.
“This farm was purchased by my grandfather in 1936, and it actually belonged to some of my relatives before then,” said Minter. “But that was during the Depression. And he lost a farm on the other side of the county and bought back 50 acres here and was growing vegetables, cotton, had a little livestock—mostly a cotton farmer.”
Following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, Minter attended the University of Georgia and returned home to help manage the farm, which for many years was focused on cattle and vegetables. Eventually, a new opportunity came along—one that offered flexibility and fit the needs of his growing family.
“There’s a guy at Experiment Station in Griffin, but he really pushed Christmas trees,” Minter recalled. “And they kind of work because you can leave them for a week or two and not work on them. It’s not like it’s, you know, milking cows at a dairy. So, you can kind of sort of fit your schedule around the trees.”
Minter credits that early mentorship for introducing him to the Leyland cypress, a tree that remains a customer favorite thanks to its hypoallergenic qualities and low needle drop. Over time, Minter expanded both the variety and acreage of his operation.
“We probably got about twenty of our fifty-five acres in Christmas trees and mostly the cypress. We also grow Carolina sapphires and blue ice,” he said. “Some people start selling from the start, but we try to discourage people… until maybe the first part of December from cutting them.”
While most of the public sees the hustle and bustle of Minter’s Tree Farm during the holidays, the real work begins almost immediately after the last tree is sold.
“Our plan is by the end of December, first of January, we’ll have our trees all planted and the young ones pruned up,” said Minter. “There’s a lot of mowing… weeds are not good… it ruins the shape of them. We still fertilize a couple of times a year, and in the year we sell them, we try to trim them three different times.”
Even with the physical demands, Minter says the joy of watching families return year after year makes it all worthwhile.
“My favorite part of the year is when your sales are pretty much done—maybe the third week of December,” he said. “And people just seem to be a little more relaxed. I just enjoy being around people when it’s slow… I can also learn what they’re looking for in a tree.”
For Rick Minter, it’s not just about planting trees—it’s about planting memories, one Christmas at a time.
By: John Holcomb