Christmas tree farm sees boost in business this year

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    HONOLULU (KITV) — Helemano Farms is the only place in Oahu that grows its own Christmas trees. This year, to help limit the amount of daily customers and avoid large gatherings, owner Aaron O’Brien opened for business a week earlier than he usually does.

The farm covers about 40 acres in Wahiawa with more than 5,000 Christmas trees for sale this year. O’Brien says every customer gets a personal shopper.

“It’s a choose and cut. It’s more about the experience than anything so family can come out, choose their tree, we cut it down, load it for them. We actually have to interact with each other so it’s a good experience,” O’Brien said.

The way the property is laid-out makes physical distancing much easier.

“Our line is spaced by the trees, which are 8 feet apart, that’s pretty easy, just stand by a tree,” O’Brien said.

During the holidays, it takes about 35 employees to harvest trees and help customers. Layton Rosa has been a seasonal worker for the past three years, he believes there’s been more first-time customers this year —

“I really feel like it’s holiday spirit. Everybody loves the holiday spirit, I don’t think anybody is going to throw that away just because of a virus,” Rosa said.

One challenge O’Brien says the farm faced this year is drought conditions because that brought on extra expenses.

“Due to us not having regular ag water, we just have catchment. We had to purchase a lot of water this year so a little effect on the pocket there,” O’Brien said. “It’s not a great return, but it’s well worth it if you enjoy what you’re doing and just seeing the kids and families enjoy what they’re doing.”

The annual window for Christmas tree sales covers about five weeks. During the rest of year, it takes only three full-time employees to run operations.

“General maintenance. For the Cypress, there’s a lot of pruning, fertilizing, maintenance of the fields, mowing, spraying, all kinds of work,” O’Brien said.

O’Brien’s father Mike started Helemano as a retirement project in 2002 but he died before the first harvest. His son says dad lives in the Christmas Spirit.

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