A small, decades-old farm with a distinctive tree-flocking service and unusually large trees, but no published 2026 dates, hours, or pricing means this is a call-first listing.
Carlson Tree Farm has been family-run since 1982, growing about 3,000 trees on 12 acres and harvesting only 300 to 400 of them each season. That’s a meaningfully smaller operation than some of its North Central Iowa neighbors, and it comes with a tradeoff worth stating plainly: a smaller harvest pool can sell through its best trees, especially in popular sizes, faster than a farm growing tens of thousands.
Two things in the record stand out. First, the trees themselves run large — 7 to 18 feet — which is a genuinely useful detail if you’re after an oversized tree for a room with high ceilings or a big open space; plenty of farms top out well under that. Second, Carlson offers tree flocking, spraying a cut tree with a reflective, snow-like material for a frosted look, plus tree spading for larger trees that need to be moved with their root ball intact rather than simply cut. Handmade wreaths from the farm’s own greenery round out the offerings. None of this is common across every farm in this research, so if any of it appeals to you specifically, Carlson is worth the call.
Visitors can cut their own tree or have farm staff do it, which is a flexible setup that works whether you want the full experience or just want to point at a tree and let someone else handle the saw.
This is the honest problem with recommending Carlson right now. No 2026 season dates, hours, or pricing were found on the farm’s own site or its social pages at research time. What is documented is that weekday visits reportedly require an appointment — meaning you likely can’t just show up on a Tuesday afternoon and expect the gate to be open. That’s a real logistical detail, not a minor gap: it changes whether this is a spontaneous stop or a planned one. Until the farm posts current information, treat any specific visiting window as unknown and call the number on record before driving out.
The record is specific and unambiguous on this point — pets are not allowed on the property. If your holiday outing usually includes the family dog, plan to leave it home for this one.
No pricing was found anywhere in the sources reviewed, so this page can’t offer even a rough figure, and it shouldn’t guess one. Given that Carlson also offers add-on services like flocking and spading, it’s worth asking not just “how much for a tree” but whether those extras carry a separate charge, since farms that offer specialty services often price them apart from the base tree cost.
If you want a large tree, are curious about flocking, and don’t mind calling ahead to lock down a weekday appointment or confirm weekend hours, Carlson is a legitimate, long-running option. If you need firm dates and prices before you’ll commit to a trip, this record can’t give you those yet — that’s a gap to close with a phone call, not a reason to skip the farm outright.
Not documented. No 2026 season dates or hours were published at research time, and weekday visits reportedly require an appointment.
Not documented directly, but expect extra time if you want a tree flocked or spaded, since those are add-on services beyond a straightforward cut.
Not documented. A smaller operation with only 300-400 trees harvested per season, out of about 3,000 growing, can sell through its best stock faster than larger neighboring farms.
Not specified in the record.
Not addressed in the sources reviewed.
Skip planning a spontaneous weekday visit, since weekday access reportedly requires an appointment, and skip bringing pets, since none are allowed on the property.
Not documented in the record.
Both options are available: visitors can cut their own tree or have staff cut it for them.
They run large for a cut-your-own farm, from 7 to 18 feet, which suits buyers wanting an oversized tree.
Flocking is spraying a cut tree with a reflective, snow-like material for a frosted look. Carlson offers this service, along with tree spading for larger trees and handmade wreaths from farm-grown greenery.
No. The record specifically notes no pets are allowed on the property.
2026 dates had not been published when we last checked. Check with the farm before driving out.
Pricing was not published when we last checked.
Yes. It's cut-your-own and choose-and-cut (staff cuts it for you).
867 130th St, Hampton, IA 50441, in Franklin County. It is one of 3 farms we track in North Central Iowa.
We track 3 farms in North Central Iowa, 3 of which let you cut your own tree. The farm has not published a starting price, so it cannot be compared on cost — call before you budget.
What sets it apart locally: it has wreaths and garland for sale, which most North Central Iowa farms on our list do not.
One caveat worth repeating: this farm had not published its 2026 dates when we last checked, while 1 of the 3 farms we track in North Central Iowa had. Treat any date you see elsewhere as last year's until the farm confirms it.
There are 10 other farms we track in Franklin County. All North Central Iowa farms →
Map pin is set to the town centre. Navigate to the street address above, not the pin.
carlsontreefarm.com
Checked September 2026.