By Tanner Hood

Fluffy, green triangle treetops pop above roadside soybeans, catching the eye of Madison County travelers who zoom past Zachary Jones’ Christmas tree farm. Tucked just outside the hustle of Huntsville, Jones is laying the foundation for the next generation of agriculture.

“I’m roughly the fifth generation on our family farm,” said Jones, who returned to Hazel Green in 2024 after studying at Auburn University. “I grew up around agriculture. My grandfather row cropped, my great-uncle flew a crop duster, and my cousins farm.” 

Jones pursued undergraduate degrees away from agriculture before turning to Auburn’s horticulture master’s program thanks to a church connection with Dr. Jeff Sibley. Jones began his studies under Dr. Jeremy Pickens — a dual winner of the Alabama Farmers Federation’s Duncan and Rittenour awards.

“Dr. Pickens’ only research grant was for Christmas trees,” Jones said. “It was way out in left field, but I didn’t really care. I developed a passion to have this on my own.”

Jones returned home with big ambitions.

“I told my parents I wanted to plant 700 trees, and I think it shocked them, but they’ve always been huge supporters,” Jones said. “I went to a conference and saw families doing this together. There’s a family focused center (to tree farming), and they’re able to tie their faith into their farms. That’s important for our family, too.”

In November 2024, Jones planted his first trees — 300 Leyland cypresses, 300 Murray cypresses and 100 Green Giant arborvitaes.  

This year, alongside wife Lexi, Jones tucked 700 more seedlings into the north Alabama soil.

“We haven’t opened to the public yet, but I did sell one tree to a family friend for her table top,” Jones said with a laugh. “We’ll plant another 700 next March and hopefully start selling some of those first trees in November 2027. This will directly impact my family.”

There’s an emerging emphasis on locally grown Christmas trees, Jones added. Since the pandemic, families have focused on getting outdoors, with local Christmas tree farms being a top destination. Jones’ passion includes producing the best product possible.

“Christmas trees keep me busy year-round,” Jones said. “We tell people, ‘You’re only going to come see them one time a year, but we’ve been taking care of these trees their entire lifetime.’ You must prune, spray and care for it. We’ve touched every tree out here probably a dozen times or more by the time it’s sold.”

For Jones, that’s included long nights blowing snow off fresh, fragile branches while facing infrastructure and equipment challenges.

Just as Christmas brings families together, Jones’ focus is on his family’s future. 

“You’re going to have bad days, but I absolutely love what we do,” Jones said. “Every year has been different, and every tree can probably tell you a different story. I’m excited to raise my family and have them with me through this whole process. Farming was such a big part of my childhood and upbringing, and now I have a way to carry that on with my children.”