As we welcome October and the holiday season is just around the corner, we have more than just our regularly scheduled programming coming down the pipeline. First of all, this Christmas will remain as it always does!
What is to come with 2019 Christmas season?
With all of this, the most exciting update of all:
Last Wednesday evening, Larissa & I traveled a short way outside of Austin to Buchanan Dam Texas. We spent the evening chatting about the dream of building a traditional Christmas tree farm in Central Texas, as well signed the paperwork to set those wheels in motion!
Brungot Farms officially has a location to establish our very own roots in Texas! We have a lot of work to do, beginning with putting in a road bridge over a creek, and land prep, as we have seedlings on the way later this month that we need to get ready for. We are so very excited to launch this huge project! We have a goal of having our first trees available to cut during the Christmas Season of 2023. (Yes, good things come to those who wait right?) This project doesn’t come without risk, and over the coming weeks, we will be launching our very own fundraising effort to keep the farm going as we get to those first trees cut.
We are working to implement our plan to fund the additional $18,000-$20,000 a year in costs before we get to the first harvest. Not to mention, we are looking at nearly $200,000 out of pocket before we would be able to see a return on that investment.
At Brungot Farms, we hope to create a community centered around this farm, which is why we run our business differently.
So, how do we do things differently?
First: We started with Pre-cut trees and built a customer base (you!) and a revenue stream for us. *(We also learned that the tree shortage has made growing this model past its current level for the next 2-3 years is a very complex problem)
Second: We have used the last five years to test and work on multiple things we believe could bridge the no revenue gap over the first 6 years of growing our own Choose & Cut Christmas Tree Farm.
Third: How do we speed up the 6 years to harvest? We are looking at different farm techniques we learned from our travels and visits to other farms.
Even with all this work, it all comes down to having the funds to make it all happen. There are several things that are in the works, but here’s the bottom line: Right now we plan to begin work this fall on prepping the property to plant in the Spring of 2020.
If we were to do things by the book, that would mean we are looking at the first harvest of our own Christmas trees in winter of 2025 at the earliest, or for a better selection of trees, Christmas 2026.
But I'm not willing to wait that long! 2023 is our goal to be open to our first Choose & Cut Season!
In the coming months leading up to Christmas, we are solidifying more and more about what a Brungot Farms Choose & Cut Christmas Farm will be. Stay tuned because we couldn’t do this without you!
- Aaron Brungot
Owner and Founder
5 comments
VAlerieRedwine
What a wonderful adventure ahead y’all. Congratulations!
Talea And Ed Alberson
We are so excited for you and your new adventure. It looks like you have a great pan in place.
Talea And Ed albeson
We are so excited for you and your new adventure. It looks like you have a great pan in place.
Christine Mauer
I am so happy for you guys!! I can’t wait to support your efforts the same way you’ve supported our band family! Thank you for all that you do!
Sharon W Scott
Congratulations!… so exciing. Good luck in your endeavor.