Minister helps Christmas tree farmer complete new plantation

Minister for Climate Change and local MP Greg Barker joined Christmas tree farmer Clive Collins to plant the 5,000th sapling at Catsfield Christmas Tree Farm, near Battle in Sussex.

Planting 5,000 trees this year was a momentous task and Clive was delighted Greg accepted his invitation to join him to mark the completion of the new plantation.

Clive has been growing and supplying Christmas trees to retail and commercial customers for over 20 years and recently launched an on-line shop that saw him supplying trees to customers as far away as Scotland and Wales.

A number of new trees are planted every year at Catsfield Christmas Tree Farm, but the new plantation of 5,000 trees is the largest investment in recent years. The business is sustainable and all the trees that are harvested get replaced.

Clive Collins said: “It was brilliant to meet the Minister and I was able to give him a tour of the farm. He was also interested in the fact that I am trying to make my business carbon neutral. The tree he helped to plant is two years old and will take about seven years to grow into a 6ft tree.”

Clive, a former forester, realised his dream to run a Christmas Tree Farm despite being in a wheelchair. Christmas trees need to be cared for all year round and shaped so they are perfectly formed for customers. Clive is able to do a lot of the farm work himself thanks to specially adapted equipment and a team of local people who help him with the work he can’t do.

Speaking in Catsfield, Greg said: “It has not been an easy road for Clive and growing Christmas trees requires a lot of physical hard work. I admire Clive’s determination to use the skills he learnt before his accident to build a successful local business which is growing year-on-year.

“As Minister for Climate Change, I am also pleased that Clive is aiming to make his operation carbon neutral in the near future and is currently having a wood burning system installed to provide heating.”

Clive sells trees to wholesale customers and to retail customers from his shop on the farm. His on-line business means anyone in mainland UK can order a Sussex tree and have it delivered. Clive also started selling Christmas decorations last year.

Catsfield Christmas Tree Farm www.catsfieldchristmastreefarm.com is a long-established grower and retailer based in Catsfield, East Sussex. It has been a member of the British Christmas Tree Growers’ Association since 1994 and has been growing and supplying Christmas trees for over 20 years.

Trees from Catsfield Christmas Tree Farm are cut as late as possible to keep them fresh. The business also uses sustainable, environmentally friendly methods to farm its trees.

ENDS

For further information contact: Suzi Christie PR Consultant on 01435 830031 or at suzi@blueberry-pr.co.uk

Notes for editors:

The address of Clive’s farm is: Catsfield Christmas Tree Farm, Cedar Cottage, Catsfield Stream, Battle, East Sussex, TN33 9BB. Tel: 01424 893332

For more information visit the website http://www.catsfieldchristmastreefarm.com/about-us-1-w.asp

The Guardian interviewed Clive last year for the ‘experience’ page. http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/dec/18/christmas-trees-new-life

Blueberry PR is a small communications agency based in Heathfield, East Sussex, offering PR and marketing services that blend traditional and online PR techniques.

We take as much time as possible to listen and understand your needs before planning and implementing a tailored campaign for your business that can:

Increase traffic to your website
Improve organic search engine optimisation
Raise your profile in your local and trade press
Differentiate you from your competitors
Increase sales.

Dean Farm House
White Horse Rd
Rushlake Green
E Sussex
TN21 9QU

This release was published on openPR.