Poland farm donates holiday trees for troops

By Denise Dick

POLAND — The owners of Pioneer Trails Tree Farm are spreading their holiday cheer to military personnel serving overseas.

Frank and Mary Jan Perdulla, who own the Center Road farm; their son, Charles; and local veterans Stan Farley, Ed Rigelsky and Dave Grimm, all of Poland, and Mark Hill of Boardman; selected about 12 Canaan fir trees Friday morning.

“We want to give back to support” the troops, Mary Jan said.

They cut down the trees, shook out the loose pieces and baled them for shipping, the scent of evergreens wafting about.

Trees from Pioneer Trails will be among the roughly 200 donated by Ohio Christmas tree growers for Operation Evergreen.

The trees will go to Reynoldsburg, near Columbus, for inspection by the Ohio Department of Agriculture. FedEx, corporate sponsor, will provide shipping to the Southwest Theater of Operations, where they will be distributed to military personnel serving there. The operations area includes Kuwait, Afghanistan, Qatar and Iraq.

Operation Evergreen started in 1995 during the war in Bosnia, Frank said.

Pioneer Trails Tree Farm began participating in 1997.

Size is important in picking trees to ship, Frank said. A tree can’t be taller than 6 feet. They pick Canaan firs because their narrow shape facilitates baling for shipment.

“They hold on to their needles,” Mary Jan said.

She expects the trees to be delivered to the troops about Thanksgiving.

Children from North Elementary in Poland, Prospect Elementary in Girard, Leonard Kirtz School in Austintown and Tiny Tots Day Care in Struthers made ornaments to send to troops to decorate the trees.

“It seems like every year, another school hears about the program and wants to get involved,” Mary Jan said.

Sometimes the Perdullas hear from the recipients of their trees.

“Occasionally, we’ll get an e-mail [from a soldier], thanking us for the tree,” Mary Jan said.

The farm started in 1929, and Frank was raised there. In 1983, the couple started planting trees.

The farm spans 50 acres, 40 of which are trees.

Though the Christmas season is the only time some people visit the farm, it’s a yearlong operation.

“We try to plant 3,000 to 5,000 trees every spring,” Mary Jan said.

Some trees are dug up to be used for landscaping or at garden shows, Frank said.

“We fertilize, mow, shape and trim,” Mary Jan said. “It’s like taking care of your yard but on a bigger scale.”

As Christmas approaches, the family-operated business gears up for the season, decorating the buildings, providing horse-drawn wagon rides for customers.

The weekend after Thanksgiving and the first weekend in December mark the busiest at Pioneer.

“Some young couples come out to pick a tree because they want to start a family tradition,” Mary Jan said.

The farm offers varieties of fir, spruce and pine from which to choose.

Pine used to be the most popular, Frank said, but over the last several years, the preference has changed to firs: Douglas, Canaan and Fraser.

The cost is $40 per tree regardless of its size.