When a whim turns into a passion

Rouken’s Nursery has become a holiday institution By Kathryn Braisted PORT JERVIS, N.Y. — When Jeanne Roucken says her Christmas tree nursery isn’t a typical corner lot, she means it. While the nursery is home to a couple hundred trees and several dozen wreaths, it also houses both a family and community tradition that stretches back far beyond the yards upon yards of pine roping. The Roucken Christmas Center and Nursery is owned by husband and wife Jeanne and Walter Roucken, who entered the Christmas tree business on a whim in the early 1970s. The pair had been married for a year when Jeanne was hospitalized and unable to work, and Walter returned from serving in the Vietnam War. In need of a “picker-upper,” the Rouckens took up tree farming as a hobby. The farm in upstate Steuben County, N.Y. was purchased in 1974 and serves as the nursery. Some 12 cultivated acres produce a total of 12,000 trees annually. It took approximately 12 years for seeds to grow into acceptable Christmas trees, and since then, the farm has withstood three droughts, countless snow storms, and incessant munching from deer. In addition to Christmas trees, the Rouckens create custom wreaths for their customers, most of whom are regulars at the store. Wreaths are personalized down to the last bow and made for any occasion. “We often find ourselves helping people get through tough times,” Jeanne Roucken said about creating certain requested wreaths. “You do what you can. It makes you feel nice that you were able to help them.” Though the satisfaction of helping others is what they said makes their job most worthwhile, the Rouckens also enjoy using the nursery as a place to catch up with family and friends they don’t normally see. “It’s a real family thing, a Christmas tradition,” said Jeanne Roucken, who recalls her cousins and children coming to the farm to help. “Just like little elves,” she said. Because Walter Roucken grew up in the Port Jervis area, he frequently attends to customers who turn out to be old friends or schoolmates. And when they’re not friends, family members, or old alumni, they’re set designers for Law and Order or camera crew members from NBC. If customers don’t take a purchase away from the lot, Jeanne Roucken hopes they will at least carry with them the information that a real tree is actually more “eco-friendly” than an artificial one. She says that because fake pines are made from plastic, and chopped trees can be recycled into mulch and are replaced by new ones, it is beneficial to “go green” with the real thing, despite the convenience of an artificial. “I think a push from the media is getting people back to the real trees, but for a while it had been all about artificial ones,” Jeanne Roucken said, noting the plastic craze took a toll on their sales at one point. Walter, now 63, does the majority of the work on the tree farm by himself though he is sometimes joined by his son. The recipe for nursery-ready trees includes five days of seed-planting in the summer, frequent grass mowings, a careful inspection of trunks for disease, selecting trees slated to be cut, and four days of harvesting trees around Thanksgiving. After being harvested, potential Christmas trees are dragged by Walter Roucken to the truck that transports them to Port Jervis. After one harvest, the Rouckens had to stop at a motel to escape a severe snow and ice storm. If the trees remained on the truck, the ice and snow would render them unfit to sell, so the pair put the trees in motel showers to keep them warm. Jeanne Roucken says they frequently have to battle the elements, but as a result, Walter has become a kind of meteorologist. “They say farmers know more about the weather than what is told to them,” she said. “Walter knows a lot about the clouds and can tell when something’s coming.” The Rouckens grow six types of trees: Balsam Fir, Concolor Fir, Douglas Fir, Fraser Fir, White Spruce and Blue Spruce. According to Jeanne, preferences for each type go in and out of style almost as often as clothing — posing a problem to her and her husband, since trees cannot be grown quickly enough to cater to a society in need of instant gratification. Jeanne Roucken recalled a note she made to herself in 1981, saying a tree type “you couldn’t find anywhere” is now one of the most popular varieties. Tree prices range according to size and variety, but are generally $25-$40. The Rouckens have been working their corner lot for decades, but don’t plan on closing up shop any time soon. “I don’t think Walter will ever stop [working here]. It’s ingrained in him,” Jeanne Roucken said. Yet if they do retire from the Christmas tree business, Jeanne Roucken says she thinks her son will continue on the tradition. That is, if her husband permits it. The Roucken Christmas Center and Nursery is at 297 East Main Street in Port Jervis and open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. For more, call them at 845-856-6548.