SANTA FE TREE FARM: 'Gotta save the farm'

New manager, old employees seek to rally business after owner’s death

Bob Quick | The New Mexican

12/1/2008 - 12/2/08

Following the death earlier this year of owner Donn Carpenter, the Santa Fe Tree Farm is under new management and preparing plans for surviving what could be a tough winter.

The tree farm at 1749 San Isidro Crossing is now owned by Carpenter's daughter, Kelly Blount, an Atlanta resident and frequent visitor to Santa Fe. She recently hired Nick Hess, who has extensive experience in the tree business, to run the company.

Hess' intention is, "I gotta save the farm."

Hess, who previously worked at Coates Tree Service, "has far exceeded my expectations," Blount said. "He has a lot of business savvy. I felt an instant connection with him."

In his new position, Hess "is overseeing operations, day-to-day interactions with customers — pretty much the whole operation. It's important for me to find somebody I can really trust ... Nick is really a blessing in that way," Blount said.

Blount wants Santa Fe Tree Farm to be more than just a business — she wants it to be an important part of the business community that will continue her father's work.

"Dad wanted to bring shade to the high desert," Blount said. "He wanted people to buy trees both because of the shade they provide and also because they help reduce the buyer's carbon footprint."

Blount also wants the Santa Fe Tree Farm to reach out to its neighbors, including the nearby Community Farm and the city's San Isidro Park.

"Santa Fe Tree Farm wants to be part "of the movement to maintain green spaces in the city," she said.

In agreeing to accept the job as manager of Santa Fe Tree Farm, Hess said he was impressed that the Monday after Carpenter died in an auto accident all the company's employees showed up to go to work as usual.

"That's the kind of thing I can't turn down," he said. "It showed the loyalty workers had to the farm and to Donn and that Donn had to his employees."

Hess, who has a forestry degree from Penn State University, added that he was already "passionate about trees."

The Santa Fe Tree Farm specializes in the sale and planting of such trees as piñon, Rocky Mountain juniper, Austrian pines and sequoia, to name a few.

"The sequoia is my favorite," Hess said. "They grow very fast and do well in our soil."

Both young and mature trees are available.

"Mature trees are instant trees," Hess said. "Donn used to say you don't have to wait for then to grow up."

Santa Fe Tree Farm has mechanical spades for excavating, moving and then replanting large trees. Special care is required to make sure the trees survive such a transition.

"If you don't handle the root ball properly when moving trees, they don't have a chance," Hess said.

Santa Fe Tree Farm also offers landscape design and installation.

Hess' immediate need is to cover the bills and get the business into the black. "We have a lot of expenses," he said. "But at the same time, we have a lot of business. We're doing great sales right now."

Hess, like a lot of other business managers, is worried about the sluggish economy and, in the case of Santa Fe Tree Farm, about the months of January and February, which are usually slow.

"January and February are crucial months," he said. "If we get through those, we'll be OK."

To help things along this winter, the Santa Fe Tree Farm will soon begin selling live Christmas trees that can be planted in the spring.

Santa Fe Free Farm employs about
11 people full time and another 10 or so in the busy spring and summer months.

For more information, call 984-2888 or visit santafetree.com.