Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Tom Dull. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Tom, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. One deeply underappreciated facet of entrepreneurship is the kind of crazy stuff we have to deal with as business owners. Sometimes it’s crazy positive sometimes it’s crazy negative, but crazy experiences unite entrepreneurs regardless of industry. Can you share a crazy story with our readers?

We are farmers in central Indiana. We have been growing Christmas trees since 1985 and have grown (pun intended) that business way beyond what we were anticipating when we planted those first trees. Over the years, we have built up a very loyal customer base as exhibited by the following story. A few years ago we saw a Facebook post from a young lady who posted a photo of her Christmas tree displayed in her apartment. Being an apartment, the tree wasn’t large but well-suited for the space available. The caption under her photo simply said this: “I went to Dull’s, got my tree and flew it home to Texas on Southwest. Bags fly free!” Now that is a loyal customer and did my heart good to know that we were her tree farm and the distance wasn’t going to change that!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I grew up on the family farm. I went to Purdue to get an ag degree with every intention of coming back to join my father on the farm. We raised hogs, cattle, corn, beans and some wheat. I got my degree in 1980 and came back to the farm after spending six months in The Netherlands on the International 4-H Youth Exchange program, where I met my wife who grew up in Nebraska and was on the same program. But that’s another story!

The ag economy in the early 80’s was not good. Prices were down. Interest rates were extremely high and not conducive to investing in hog buildings to make room for me on the farm, so we planted Christmas trees knowing that it would be at least 7 years before we would see that first dollar of return. In 1993 we put a sign out on the highway pointing down our road advertising Christmas trees for sale. We thought that if we could sell 100 trees, we would consider it a success. At the end of the season, we had sold 200 trees! We were on our way!

Our entrepreneurial spirit kicked in. If people were buying a tree, what else did they need that we could provide? Tree stands, ornaments and wreaths! So, we found a log cabin on another farmer’s land who wanted it torn down so he could farm that spot. I offered to clear the area for scavenger rights. I disassembled that cabin, brought it home and put it back together to use as a retail shop. We soon outgrew that building.

We live on a mid-1800’s era farmstead. We restored a dilapidated granary that we turned into our wreath barn. We located a couple of other original log cabins, tore them down and reassembled them as one building which was to be used for a larger retail space and an area for employees to take a break. As we were building this structure, my wife looked at me and said, “Do you know how much money we have invested in this cabin that we’re only going to use for a few weeks out of the year?” So, we turned it into the Stone Cabin Inn bed and breakfast.

As opportunities presented themselves, we evaluated them and acted accordingly. Our son, after being in the corporate world for a year, asked if he could come back to the farm. We said okay, but how are we going to provide a living for your family? He said, “With our tree customer base and the facilities we have, we could grow pumpkins!” So we now grow pumpkins!

Our hope is that folks who visit our farm are getting some good wholesome agricultural education while having fun and making memories. We have expanded into other activities throughout the year to help with the cash flow. Our adults only egg hunt has become extremely popular. We host a Christmas in July vendor event. We partner with a local brewery for our Taste of the Maze event.

We are extremely blessed to be able to make a living off the natural resources that God has provided for us and that we, our children, and now our grandchildren have had the opportunity to grow up on the farm.

Brighten up your Christmas with a REAL Dull tree!!

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

As a senior in college in 1980, I was selected to participate in the International 4-H Youth Exchange Program (IFYE) and went to The Netherlands for a six month stay with seven different host families. At the orientation program in Washington DC, I met the other participants, one of which was Kerry from Nebraska who was also chosen to go to The Netherlands. During the course of that program, Kerry and I realized we had common interests and a spark developed. At the conclusion of the program, we realized that if that spark was going to get fanned into a flame, one of us was going to have to move. Since it is easier to move a schoolteacher than a farmer, Kerry came to Indiana and found a Home Economics teaching position not too far away from my farm. We were married in 1982! We planted our first trees in 1985, the beginning of Dull’s Christmas Tree Farm, which was eventually shortened to Dull’s Tree Farm and then lengthened to Dull’s Tree Farm and Pumpkin Harvest when son Lucas came back to the farm and began planting pumpkins.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

The best source of new customers for us is our old customers. You just can’t beat word-of-mouth marketing. When you have a customer who is happy with their experience, feels like they received good value for their money and have created good memories then they are going to spread the word. Our daughter-in-law does a fantastic job with our social media. She creates great content which people want to share and makes sure people are aware of the next big event at Dull’s.

Contact Info:

• Website: dullstreefarm.com