If Maryland has a Christmas Belt, it might well span Baltimore, Carroll and Frederick counties, where optimal soil and abundant farmland have given rise to dozens of tree farms.

Most are longstanding family operations, passed down to growers who learned the trade as kids.

Prettyboy Run Farms in Parkton is an exception: It’s run by a full-time mechanical engineer who cultivates Christmas cheer as a weekend side gig.

Owner Stefan Nock grew up in northern New Jersey, just outside New York City, with no exposure to farming. On weekdays, he builds robots at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Howard County.

But a longtime curiosity about farming prompted Nock to start a second career in 2015 as a Christmas tree grower. He purchased a 70-acre plot in northern Baltimore County at a time when rising costs, climate change and a waning interest in the outdoors were pushing younger generations away from the business.

“I feel like most families are getting out of farming,” Nock said, “and I’m one of the silly people getting into it.”

A decade later, Nock’s choose-and-cut tree farm has become a destination for over 1,000 visitors a year.

Starting the day after Thanksgiving — or, as growers call it, “Green Friday” — families begin their holiday season dressed in ugly sweaters, sipping hot cocoa and combing rows of Nock’s evergreens for the perfect Christmas tree.

A house with a serious yard

Nock and his wife, Julie Ann Cavnor, were house hunting in the county 10 years ago when an old, rundown Christmas tree farm in the Hereford Zone caught his attention. The owners of the property hadn’t planted trees in a few years and were mainly selling precut trees.

Nock said the idea of owning a farm had long intrigued him. He imagined raising his three kids there and teaching them how to run a business, work with their hands and care for the environment.

Christmas trees were a practical option for a part-time farmer, since they require less day-to-day labor than most other crops or livestock.

Cavnor, a self-described “city girl at heart,” said she initially had reservations about Nock’s plan. Like her husband, she didn’t know much about farming. Much of her professional experience has involved working for museums, galleries and nonprofits in the art world.

Nock spent months driving Cavnor past the property, and eventually she got on board. They purchased the farm early that November — three weeks before Christmas tree season was set to begin.

The couple raced to get the business up and running, starting an LLC, creating a website and hiring seasonal employees. Leaning on his engineering skills and more than a decade of experience in the Maryland Army National Guard, Nock quickly taught himself how to drive a tractor and operate specialized farm equipment.

All of it happened while Cavnor was eight months pregnant with the couple’s third child.

The farm opened after a few whirlwind weeks, selling trees that Nock salvaged from the previous owners.

A number of customers told Nock they had made holiday memories at the farm for generations.

“The biggest thing I recall was the number of people that thanked us for keeping the farm going,” Nock said. “We were helping keep a tradition in the community, which I didn’t think about until then.

“After that, I felt a heavy weight and responsibility to continue the farm.”

The first few years were a steep learning curve, Cavnor remembered, as Nock taught himself the intricacies of soil chemistry, planting methods and how to operate farm equipment. While learning how to grow his own trees, Nock also purchased precut trees from regional vendors to sell on the farm.

The Maryland Christmas Tree Association, a network of around 70 growers who host meetings on their farms and share techniques and best practices, became a key resource.

“It’s a competitive business, but also the farmers are all very friendly and willing to share,” Nock said. Today, he serves as the association’s vice president.

Weekend farmer

Christmas tree farms have seen a recent surge in popularity, as families sought safe outdoor activities during the COVID-19 pandemic and then kept coming back. Many now sell out by the second weekend in December.

While the retail season is a busy blur, growing Christmas trees is a year-round effort. Without any full-time employees on his farm, Nock handles much of the work himself.

After working in the lab on weekdays, Nock spends 8-10 hours on weekends in his 10-acre tree field, plus additional time on paperwork and administrative tasks. Many of the vacation days he takes from his engineering job are also devoted to farming.

“In his very limited time, he’s out every weekend on the grounds, mowing, pruning, working,” Cavnor said.

Soon after Christmas, Nock grinds down stumps that visitors left behind during the previous season. In March, he plants over 1,000 saplings, which must survive deer, pests, drought and a 7- to 10-year growth cycle before they reach Christmas tree height and generate any income.

The spring and summer months are spent mowing around each tree, a tedious task made harder because Nock avoids using herbicides and other chemicals to control grass, weeds and ivy.

Leading up to the season, Nock shears every tree taller than three feet so that it achieves a classic conical shape.

“I’m still learning how to limit my time on the farm,” Nock said, “because you can never do enough.”

Last year, the farm achieved a milestone when it stopped offering precut trees. It now only sells trees Nock grew himself.

Green Friday

Families began arriving Friday with their kids and dogs even before the farm’s 10 a.m. opening, their yearly tradition undeterred by a biting 35-degree chill.

Nock and Cavnor greeted some returning customers with a hug. Many said that choose-and-cut farms offered a Christmas experience they couldn’t find at a big box store.

The families carried sleds and hand saws to the tree fields, where they chose which of the firs, spruces, pines or cedars would form the backdrop of their holiday photos and gift exchanges this year. Classic Christmas songs played over the sound system.

A team of family and friends measured each freshly cut tree against a vertical ruler, tagged it with a price and prepared it for the trip home.

Nock and Cavnor’s oldest child, Bowen, helped operate a machine that shook the trees, dislodging loose needles and small pests. Their youngest, Therrin, manned the baler, which wrapped trees in twine.

Before leaving, the visitors stopped inside the family’s garage, which Cavnor turned into a shop that sells ornaments, nutcrackers and birch logs from local artisans and vendors. Inside, she hand-tied wreaths, while the couple’s daughter, Athena, operated the cash register and served complimentary hot cocoa.

Nock said he and his family are proud of their farm.

“We’re getting a little bit better every year and seeing the trees look better every year,” he said. “But the coolest part is seeing everybody come here and be so happy and thankful.”