November 30 – MYSTIC – “I Married My Hallmark Movie.”
That’s how Pantea Umrysz explains a life that somehow took her from her Iranian roots on the other side of the world as a young girl to her new home in sunny California, to a chance meeting with her future husband and a future date as one of the pillars of her life. the Yetter Road Christmas Tree Farm in the middle of a mystical neighborhood.
Umrysz remembers having a WalMart Christmas tree as a child, but times were hard for her and her single mother in the early years, and of course there were no seasons to speak of in California. So when she met Tom Umrysz, who made it very clear that he planned to become a Christmas tree farmer in Mystic no matter what, Pantea was more than happy to leave San Diego to enjoy a life she had previously only experienced in movies.
“When I met my husband, he said, ‘Listen, I was born and raised here on a tree farm and I’m never leaving,’” Pantea laughed after tending to a swarm of customers Monday. “He was very transparent. My husband comes from three generations with deep agricultural roots.”
The Yetter Road Christmas Tree Farm has become such a destination this time of year that it was one of the places filmed in the 2021 Lifetime movie “The Holiday Fix-Up,” which earned Tom Umrysz a few seconds of fame when he was shown baling. a tree in one short clip.
Tom Umrysz said he learned farming and his work ethic from his grandfather John, the hardest working man he knew, a man who still did field work into his 90s.
“He grew up a dairy farmer, and the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor he enlisted in the Navy and he was actually a torpedo man on the USS Rodman (a minesweeper and anti-submarine boat),” Tom said.
After the war, Tom’s grandfather returned home and began working in the 40 acres of fields his family owned on Yetter Road, clearing the overgrown orchards and planting trees, eventually marrying Irene Whittle Umrysz, who was also from a famous local farming family came. Finally, half a century ago, in 1974, the Umryszes opened their Christmas tree farm for the very first time and a seasonal tradition was born.
This time of year the tree farm is buzzing with activity, both in the fields and in the gift shop which is open seasonally in a converted garage at the back of the Umrysz house. The shop is named after Dina Umrysz, Tom’s late mother, who was the inspiration for the inside of the tree farm, while husband Leon, who still owns and operates the farm, looked after the fields.
“Everything is local and handmade,” says Pantea, who now runs the shop while her husband does the outside work.
The Umryszes do a brisk business with handmade wreaths and ropes in the store, but there are also many local and affordable gifts, such as candles, mugs, tumblers, t-shirts, earrings, crocheted Christmas trees, decorated oyster shells, ornaments and sippy jewelry. cups.
“We have kind of a Clyde’s (cider mill) vibe, where we’re a seasonal farm in the middle of a residential area,” Pantea said, pointing to a new eight-space parking lot in front of their home, which will give customers a more convenient way to access the then shop in the past.
The Umryszes had a soft opening of the business the Monday before Thanksgiving, but the days after the big holiday people tend to head to the current farm. The Umryszes said they expect a busier season than ever, as several local Christmas tree farms have scaled back in recent years.
“It’s just a dying industry, where these farmers are doing it and your kids don’t want to work with their hands and take over a business,” says Tom, who has two young children with Pantea.
And of course, Christmas tree growers, like all farmers, have to contend with the variability of New England’s weather, which earlier this year brought heavy rains, followed more recently by drought. And of course, tree farmers can’t cut down too many trees for fear they won’t have enough to sell the next year.
“We have to keep sustainability in mind,” Tom said. “Our goal is to protect the farm and have trees for years to come.”
But demand from customers on the farm has been so high in recent seasons that the Umryszes now sell off-site trees as well as their own.
Most trees up to 2.5 meters tall, including balsam, Canaan, concolor, Douglas, Fraser, Nordman, cork bark, Turkish and Korean spruce, as well as white, blue and Meyers spruce and white pine, cost $70 this year. The larger ones cost $10 per foot.
“We’re more of a boutique farm,” Tom said, comparing his business to a place like Maple Lane Farm in Preston, where the trees are bigger but you have to cut them down yourself. “We’re trying to create a more personalized experience.”
To that end, this year the Umryszes had a sign painter write out silly holiday jokes that were placed next to the pre-cut trees. The signs ask: “What kind of pictures do elves take? Elves” and “What is a reindeer’s favorite game? Truth or deer.”
Another recent homely touch was the addition of a mural telling the story of the farm and surrounding landmarks, including a croissant from the Sift Bake Shop and an image of the Mystic Pizza restaurant, along with a beluga whale, the Fitch High School logo and an ice cream cone with a nod to Mystic Drawbridge Ice Cream. The mural was designed by local artist Katie Fogg and painted by her and Krista Stanowicz, also known as Krista Stan.
“I think what we have here is really special,” Pantea said. “Every year the question is: how can we continue to improve the user experience?”
This year, the Umryszes plan to have Bridge Market come out to sell their wood-fired pizzas and bagels, and Saxophone Santa will make an appearance over the next two weekends (see https://www.facebook.com/YetterRoadTreeFarm/ for more information ) .
The Umryszes, who operate a painting business the rest of the year, also annually support the Adopt-a-Family program through the Groton Department of Human Services. This year they hope to provide funding to 100 families, thanks to the help of their customers who contribute.
The farm and shop are open Monday to Friday from 12pm to 5pm, and from 9am to 5pm on Saturdays and Sundays through December 23.
The challenge of their operation, Pantea said, is “how do you continue to grow, but honor the past; how do you grow, but still preserve this legacy? … We’ve certainly had our fair share of challenges. .. but you only have control over the controllable matters and our objectives to continue to grow and develop this company….
“Beauty is in the struggle,” she added. “This is great to be able to have this here…and make it work.”
l.howard@theday.com
