Dutchman Tree Farms is a big operation. How big?

The company sells between 600,000 and 900,000 Christmas trees each year, grown on a whopping 9,000 acres (that’s 14 square miles) around its headquarters in Missaukee County and spilling into several neighboring northern Michigan counties.

All told, the Manton-based business is likely the largest single Christmas tree operation east of the Mississippi River (North Carolina has many prolific producers, but very few that rival Dutchman’s scale) and is one of the top four or five in the entire country.

“We did (the math one time), and one out of every 26 homes in the whole nation with a live Christmas tree has a Dutchman tree,” said founder Steve Vanderweide. “I’m pretty proud of that.”

It’s hard work, out there on the land. It requires patience and perseverance. But those involved couldn’t be happier to be doing it.

“It’s really nice to think about how many touches you have in homes across the country during what is, for us, a very important holiday,” co-owner Chris Maciborski said. “We take a lot of pride in creating that beauty.”

For the rest of this story and and many more, along with local columns and timely insights, check the April edition of the Traverse City Business News (The Ticker's sister publication). Click here to subscribe or to see where to find it on newsstands.