Story and photos by JoMarie Ramsey

The first cold front of November has a way of stirring the season awake. Mugs of cocoa steam on kitchen tables, Clark Griswold flickers to life on living room screens and the familiar notes of BC Clark's holiday jingle drift across Oklahoma airwaves. These cues tell most families it's time for the holidays.

The season begins in the quiet of dawn for husband-and-wife team Katy and Jesse Wells. When they swing open the semi-truck doors, a cold breath of pine-scented air rushes out, filling their Norman Christmas tree farm with the promise of another holiday season.

"Sometimes there's still snow on the branches," Katy said. "You open that trailer, and the smell just hits you. That's the moment for me. That's when I know it's here."

For Jesse, his cue comes with a sound, not a scent.

"For me, it's the chainsaws," Jesse said. "When you hear that buzzing, you know families are cutting down their trees out there. That's when it feels real."

It started as a shared daydream. In 2014, after taking their young son, Luke, to cut down a Christmas tree, Jesse turned to Katy on the drive home and said, "You know, we could do this."

"I looked at him in shock because I had just thought the same thing but hadn't said it out loud," Katy said.

By the following year, they were planting trees. They joined the Oklahoma Christmas Tree Association, researched and put 150 seedlings in the ground. Half died.

"We had no background in agriculture," Jesse said. "We were just figuring it out as we went."

Now, their 12-acre farm just outside Norman includes nearly 1,500 Virginia Pines and over 1,000 pre-cut premium firs shipped in from growers in Oregon, Wisconsin and North Carolina. It has become a destination for Christmas trees and the kind of seasonal magic families return for year after year.

"We wanted to create a space where families could make memories," Katy said. "The tree is important, but it's really about what happens around it."

On weekends, the farm is alive with live music, hot cocoa, hot apple cider, food trucks and the warm flicker of fire pits. Children line up to visit Santa. Couples stroll through rows of evergreens. Movie nights turn the farm into a holiday theater under the stars.

"We love watching people stay for hours, just being present," Jesse said. "They're not rushing in and out. They're making a day of it."

But this work is not easy. Each Virginia Pine takes five to seven years to grow to retail height and requires shaping and shearing multiple times a year.

"They don't naturally grow in the perfect Christmas tree shape," Jesse said. "You definitely have to help them get there."

Weather remains their biggest challenge. This year alone, heavy rains flooded part of the field and drowned about 200 trees.

"It's part of it," Jesse said. "You just plant more and keep going."

Katy runs the gift shop, schedules staff, manages retail and food operations, and handles inventory. Jesse oversees tree maintenance, logistics, infrastructure and everything outdoors.

"We've had to learn every part of this business," Katy said. "We do our own marketing, payroll and ordering. It's just us."

That dedication has not gone unnoticed by the community. Friends, family, neighbors and volunteers fuel the farm's growth, as do partners like Oklahoma Electric Cooperative and OEC Fiber, which helped install high-speed fiber internet and set up electrical infrastructure as the business expanded.

"We really appreciate what OEC has done for us," Jesse said. "We rely on electricity and WiFi for everything—our lights, coffee shop, POS system, equipment, everything. They've been fast and helpful every time we've needed them."

OEC has been supporting rural Oklahoma families since 1937, when a group of farmers and neighbors banded together to bring power to areas ignored by private utilities. Today, that legacy continues with businesses like the Wells Christmas Tree Farm, where innovation and community spirit thrive.

"Our story wouldn't be possible without the people who believed in us from the beginning," Katy said. "It's been a community effort from day one."

The Wellses make it a point to give back — donating trees each year to families in need and frequently supporting local fundraisers, schools and causes. One year, they helped coordinate a car donation for a family facing hardship.

"That's the part that sticks with you," Katy said. "It's not just a business. It's something bigger."

This year, they're opening a new coffee shop on site and expanding the gift shop. They're also delivering their largest tree, a 30-footer, to the University of Oklahoma's South Oval, the central green space on OU's Norman campus.

"We're proud of the work, but mostly we're proud of the space we've created," Jesse said.

At the end of each season, they host a movie night on the farm. Last year, the film was the classic "Elf."

As the closing credits rolled, families stayed, talking by the fire, drinking cocoa, laughing together.

"That's when it hits me," Katy said. "We're not just running a farm. We're part of people's family traditions now."

She paused.

"I don't think anything is more meaningful than that."

How To Visit

Opening Weekend: Nov. 22 - 23 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Season Launch: Friday, Nov. 28 at 10 a.m.

Regular Hours: Mon. - Fri. 4-7 p.m. | Sat. - Sun. 10 a.m.-7 p.m.

Special Events:

• Christmas Vacation Movie Night: Nov. 8

• Elf Movie Night & End of Season Party: Dec. 20

For more details, visit wellschristmastrees.com