About Us
You're gonna do what?!?!?
When I told people I wanted to start a tree farm, they told me I was crazy. I was over 50 and didn’t have any farming experience. “How hard can it be?” I thought.
A few years ago, I found myself unsatisfied with work, and saw this as a great opportunity to create my next chapter and follow my dreams. There were two driving factors in my decision to start a farm in Coeur d’Alene.
I absolutely fell in love with Idaho. Every time I visited, I came across the friendliest, proudest Americans I’ve ever met, and knew I belonged there.
I was done sitting behind a desk and wanted to do something outdoors, something that allowed me to be physically active. But I’m not a young man anymore, so had to figure out a plan that I could do with my own physical limitations.
I have been a life-long learner, so I busted out my computer and started researching the possibilities. I found myself drawn to people who were working their land. I spent hours on end watching YouTube channels of guys my age, starting new farming careers, and was inspired to give it a shot.
I feel like I’ve been training for this job for my whole life. With over 20 years of experience in supply chain and manufacturing, I’m using that skillset to build efficiencies that will help me produce high-quality beautiful trees, while using less resources. The manufacturing world calls this “lean manufacturing”. Most farmers call it “good sense”.
I find it magical to watch things grow, so I’m excited to get my first crop planted so I can watch my trees sprout to life. I’ve been doing tons of research to find the best way of growing trees and I’m developing an agriculture plan with local industry leaders, and advisors from the University of Idaho Small Farms and Horticulture Department.
I hope you’ll follow along on my journey of moving to Idaho, starting a tree farm and building our home. We are also producing a YouTube channel so you can really get to know us! We have started with raw land, and hope that within the next five years we have a fully functioning farm for all to enjoy.
The name of my farm is Fort Cesta. I wanted something a little more original than “Jeff's tree farm”. I like conveying that I’m protecting these trees until they are replanted or harvested.
Follow our YouTube channel as we build a farm from the ground up.
Let's get to work on your summer projects!
Agriculture Services
Tilling
Even a large garden has trouble justifying agricultural equipment that will only get used seasonally. Let us help you nourish your crops. Rototilling is a great method of turning up the soil before you plant your field. Because a tiller's tines dig deep into the ground, they blend organic matter into the soil where it can decompose faster to provide earlier and more plentiful biomass to your plants. It's also an efficient way to distribute fertilizer. Hiring us once a year before you plant that large garden makes a ton of sense.
Agriculture Services
Land Services
We can help you level, grade, backfill, or spread materials like gravel or soil.
General Land Clean Up
Turn an overgrown, unkept area into a clean space for enjoyment. Land is only getting more expensive, so utilize the land you own! Need to clean brush and dead limbs? We have a chipper that will produce a uniform media that can dress up your landscaping, while clearing the space of wildfire fuel.
Agriculture Services
Stump Grinding
Tree stumps can be unsightly, annoying, or even dangerous. If you have a stump on your property from a cut, dead, or fallen tree, let us help you eliminate the unwanted stump through our stump grinding services. We just purchased a new Baumalight stump grinder that is powered by our John Deere tractor. Those carbide teeth mean business!
Agriculture Services
Flail Mowing
Need help safely taming your uneven, overgrown field? Let us come out and get rid of your brush and thorny shrubs. A flail mower’s design reduces the risk of injury from flying debris and is the perfect choice for areas that are not only grassy but also overgrown with other types of vegetation. It will leave you with a cleaner finish, and a more finely ground mulch than a traditional brush hog. We can tackle those hard-to-reach areas, like ditches, with our tilting deck.
Proud member of IECTA
Striving to Produce the Best Trees for your Holiday Enjoyment
Inland Empire Christmas Tree Association (I.E.C.T.A.) is a collaboration of tree growers from Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington who have gathered together to share information and stay up-to-date on leading trends and technology.
We produce our own proprietary Grand Fir seedlings that are grown for IECTA by the Coeur d’Alene Forest Service Nursery. These seedlings are available for IECTA members only. The seed for these seedlings are from our seed orchard at the University of Idaho Sandpoint Experimental Station. The parent Grand Fir trees were selected for the orchard because of their superior Christmas tree traits. A study by WSU has shown that the seed orchard trees also exhibit exceptional needle retention qualities.
Feel free to visit the IECTA website
Contact Us
Better yet, see us in person!
We love our customers, and don't want to miss you. Feel free to call and make sure we will be there to greet you.
Fort Cesta
Hours
Visits and services are by appointment only.
We are a small farm and get pulled in a lot of directions. Just give us a call and we'll be happy to open our doors to you.
208-596-5116
