Tree Farm Jobs

Three types of tree farms hire employees in the United States. First, some farms grow trees to use as a source of wood or related products. Second, some tree farms focus on growing saplings to sell to consumers who want to plant trees on their land.

And third, Christmas tree farms are popular across the country, especially in the northern states where families can enjoy searching through a large forest filled with rows of evergreens.

Tree farms that provide wood and other products are becoming increasingly popular as the number of virgin forests in the world continues to shrink. Timber companies own most tree farms whose main employees are loggers, truck drivers, and processors. However, farmers are needed as well, and all tree farms have employees who are given the task of optimizing the forest for tree growth and determining when trees can be harvested. Like with other crops, trees can be fertilized and sprayed with pesticides, and right before harvesting, employees will go through the forest and mark which trees to cut down and which should remain standing to grow for another year or two. Interested in tree planting jobs? Another section of JobMonkey discusses reforestation work at great length.

Working on a tree farm that sells saplings is a completely different ball game. Did you read about floriculture jobs on a previous page? The work is very similar. Many tree farms sell saplings that are, in fact, grown in green houses, as this provides a more controlled environment for the young trees. The challenge as an employee at this kind of tree farm is that each tree has its own growing needs.

The third type of tree farm in the United States is the Christmas tree farm. While these farms hire mostly seasonal workers in December, you can also get a job there year-round clearing the grounds of brush and weeds, caring for the trees, digging up stumps in areas where trees were cut down, and planting new trees.
They also need people to run tree stands throughout the United States during the holiday season.

Tree farm work is desirable in the agricultural industry because it typically comes with a higher pay rate. However, many companies prefer employees who have degrees in forestry or related areas, so if you are hired in an entry-level position without a degree, you might still be dealing with minimum wage pay rates.