For a little less than $1 million, you can buy a newly planted Christmas tree farm near Bangor that has room for development around it.
The sale of the 46-acre property in Orrington includes all the sellers’ farm equipment as well as their inventory of more than 24,000 spruce, balsam, fir, blue spruce and Korean Christmas trees, most of which were planted in 2017 when the farm was established. There are also some “legacy trees” on the farm that date back to New Hampshire in the 1940s, according to the property’s online listing.
Of the dozens of Christmas tree farms around Maine, this appears to be the only active one listed for sale right now. The farm, listed by the Chez Renee Team at Realty of Maine on Tuesday, is a “thriving” business now but has the potential to double its operations as only half of the acreage is planted.
The whole property has only been fertilized with compost and companion plants, and all of its acreage is ready for yearly planting. But with town permission and some soil testing, the property could be transformed into different uses, too.
“It has potential for a subdivision,” Renee Hudgens, one of the listing agents, said. “It could be a home or a couple of homes, an event center, [you could] expand farming to other products … A lot of different ideas.”
The 46-acre lot is in a prime location, less than 15 minutes from downtown Bangor but close to several area ponds and lakes. An established trail around the property’s perimeter offers opportunities for tractor rides, snowshoeing and skiing. RV campers have historically come out to stay overnight at the property in exchange for donations.
Such a turnkey, profitable business is a rare opportunity in Maine, Hudgens said. For that reason, it was hard to find comparable properties for pricing. The farm is only one of a handful in the Bangor area, and its $979,000 price tag includes farm equipment including tractors, trailers, garden tools, mowers, three shipping containers and more.
The sellers are local entrepreneurs looking for their next venture, Hudgens said. They’re offering owner financing to help the farm find its next steward.
“They’ve gotten it started … they’re on to the next,” she said. “It’s transferable to a new owner. Typically it takes about five years to get this wholesale account, so it’s important for farmers to know that it would avoid any delays in planting.”
Correction: An earlier photo used on this story was of a Christmas tree farm in New Hampshire. A real estate agent supplied the incorrect photo.