Specialty Crop Farmers of the Year – Mark and Kay Powell, Powell Tree Farm
Nestled in Sneads, Florida, off Old Spanish Trail, lies Powell Tree Farm owned and operated by Mark and Kay Powell. Powell Tree Farm specializes in “choose and cut” evergreen Christmas trees. Customers take their families to pick out their annual Christmas tree while also enjoying a fun day on the farm.
Powell Tree Farm opened to the public in 1981, originally owned and operated by Mark’s parents, Reid and Tina Powell. The family, originally from Gainesville, Florida, moved to Jackson County around 1971, and purchased the farm where the operation is currently located in 1976. Mark began fully helping his father on their farm around age 15, along with his sister. Mark and Reid ran the operation together for many years, truly instilling their family values into what Powell Tree Farm is today. After Reid’s passing in 2001, Mark took over the operation full time. In 2012, Kay and Mark were married. Soon after, Kay started helping Mark manage the farm, while also working part-time for Watford Engineering.
Christmas is a holiday that falls at the end of the year, but the farm work for the Powell family is a year-round labor of love. In January, trees that were cut during the holiday season are replaced and planted. The new trees are fertilized in the spring, with routine trimming and mowing two to three times a year. Once planted, it can take five to six years for each tree to reach the right cutting height for most households. Powell Tree Farm grows a variety of evergreen trees, such as Leland Cypresses, Carolina Saphires, Virginie Pines, and Blue Ice. They also offer pre-cut Frasier Fir’s from North Carolina during the selling season. Each tree is hand trimmed and shaped, either by Mark, or their farm hand, Brandon Jarmon. Brandon has been working for the Powell’s since he was thirteen years old and is a large part of their farm labor today. The farm’s peak season starts the day after Thanksgiving, when they open to the public for the holiday season. Day-to-day work is typically handled by Mark, Kay, and Brandon, but during the busy season, the farm employs two other part-time employees to meet the demands of numerous customers each weekend.
Hurricane Michael took a heavy toll on Powell Tree Farm, as it did for other farming operations in Jackson County. They lost their gift shop and a large amount of their ready-to-sell tree inventory. Kay remembers in vivid detail having to re-stake each tree by hand to salvage remaining trees. Because the hurricane happened in October, their seasonal opening was less than a month away. Kay and Mark were unsure if they would be able to open or not. They made the decision to open anyway, hoping it would raise people’s spirits in time for the holidays. Mark was astounded at the turnout of the community and was incredibly touched by the number of customers that came out to support them, from near and far.
The Powells are truly the embodiment of family values and a business that cares for their customers. They value having regular customers bring their friends and family out to the farm for the first time and share with their guests, “This is where we buy our Family Christmas Tree every year.” Mark and Kay can describe in detail the names of their customers and the memories they have made with them over their years, including supplying a tree for previous Florida Governors Rick Scott and Jeb Bush. They remember numerous repeat customers, where they are from, and details of their lives. Some customers have been visiting them for over 40 years! The Powells make it very clear that they truly love what they do and the people they serve. It’s very touching to know how much their customers mean to them.
Mark commented, “It’s never been about the money for me.”
Mark and Kay are looking towards a brighter future, with hopes of reopening their gift shop and once again hosting Farm-to-Table events for the public in their off season. In 2025, they are looking forward to another great season serving families in Jackson and surrounding counties. Their year-long efforts bring holiday cheer to hundreds of families every year.
The Specialty Crop Farmers of the Year is Sponsored by Helena Agri Enterprises. Nominees are selected annually by the Jackson County Extension Service Staff with assistance from the local farming industry.