History of Photography at Evergreen Farm

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Evergreen Farm was founded in March 1979, when the process of clearing land and planting the first few trees began. Instead of clearcutting the forest, some of the better birch, maple and oak trees were left standing to provide cover and/or food for birds and other wildlife. The white birch trees—especially—also provided an aesthetically pleasing contrast to all the green of the growing Christmas trees. As the farm expanded, customers noticed the beauty of the landscape. Some of the customers had the idea of using the farm as a backdrop for family photographs. And eventually, photographers started asking if they could use the farm as their "outdoor studio”.

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At first, we were happy to share the beauty of our farm with the few who asked our permission.  We thought exposing the farm to more people might result in a few new customers. We only asked the photographers to follow three minor guidelines:

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1. We reminded the photographers that it is a working farm and the tote roads had to be left open so our tractor and/or pickup could get by.

2. We asked that people not drive into the Christmas trees but park in our parking lot and walk into the trees, and,

3. We also asked that any props be picked up and brought home with the photographer.

 

As the number of requests increased substantially each year, things began to get out of control. Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before all of these guidelines were violated. So, we decided to implement a few additional policy requirements that would, hopefully, ensure that only ethical, professional photographers would use the farm.

 

Requirements for Photographers at Evergreen Farm

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IMPORTANT: In addition to the three guidelines above, we also now require:

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• Proof of liability insurance.  The Certificate must list Evergreen Farm, Robert Gauld, William Gauld and Julia Gauld as additional insureds.

• A reference on your social media of the farm - perhaps a link to our website and Facebook page.

• All photo sessions must be completed before the farm opens for tree sales.

• A fee of $75 for a half day or $125 for a full day of sessions must be paid in order to reserve a spot on the farm.

 

In addition, we remind photographers and their clients that the farm is on private property. The business is run on land leased from private land owners. Therefore, most of the fees collected from the photographers are used to rent a portable toilet so it isn’t necessary to use the landowners’ bathroom.

 

Want your photos taken at Evergreen Farm?

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If you are not a photographer but would like to have a family portrait, engagement photo or other photography session at the farm, we suggest you contact one of the photographers below with whom we have worked in the past. Here are their names, links to their web sites and email addresses: