A choose-and-cut farm near Brandon with one of the widest tree-variety lists in the state and a short, confirmed weekend season, but no published pricing anywhere -- and it's cash only.
Cash only. This farm doesn't take cards, based on what we found — bring cash or confirm ahead if that's changed.
Emerald Forest at Stonegate is a choose-and-cut operation east of Brandon, and the one thing that sets it apart from most other South Dakota tree farms in this area is sheer variety: ten tree species are listed, including Douglas fir and Norway spruce, neither of which shows up often on other local farms’ lists. If you have a specific species in mind rather than “whatever’s available,” this is one of the few farms in the region where the answer might actually be yes.
Staff provide saws, and once you’ve cut a tree, the farm will shake it, tie it, bale it, and get it ready for transport – so you don’t need your own equipment or a rack rigged up in advance. Free hot chocolate is offered, and there’s a small gift shop selling wreaths and boughs if you want more than just the tree itself. Porta-potties are on site, which is a small but useful detail: it signals a working rural field rather than a farm with a permanent visitor building, so plan accordingly if that matters for your group.
The one payment detail that matters most: this farm is cash only, stated plainly in the source record rather than inferred. That’s a real trip-planning fact, not a minor footnote – if you show up with only a card, you may not be able to complete a purchase at all. Bring cash before you leave home.
Hours are Saturdays 10am-5pm and Sundays 12pm-5pm – weekends only, no weekday access mentioned. The season itself is estimated to run from November 27 through December 10, 2026, but that date range comes from applying a general description (“after Thanksgiving through the first week in December”) to the 2026 calendar, not from a farm-published 2026 schedule. In practice this means the farm is open for something like four to six days total across two weekends, which is a genuinely narrow window. If a farm this size sells a meaningful number of trees on just those few open days, it’s worth getting there on the earlier weekend rather than assuming the second weekend will still have full selection, especially in the more distinctive varieties like Douglas fir that people specifically seek out.
No pricing is published anywhere in the sources checked for this farm – not a base rate, not a per-foot charge, nothing. That’s a real gap for anyone trying to budget before driving out, and the honest answer is that there’s no number to give here. Ask when you call, or be prepared to learn the cost once you’ve selected and cut a tree. The record also doesn’t describe parking, accessibility, or exactly how big the growing fields are, so first-time visitors should expect a straightforward rural farm visit without much built-out infrastructure beyond the gift shop and porta-potties mentioned.
If you want species variety and don’t mind a cash-only, weekends-only, short-season operation with no published pricing, Emerald Forest is a solid choice – just bring cash, go early in the season, and don’t expect to find a price online before you get there.
The season is estimated to run November 27 through December 10, 2026, based on a source description of 'after Thanksgiving through the first week in December' rather than a farm-published 2026 date. Given the short window, the first weekend is the safest bet for full tree selection.
Not stated in the record.
Not stated directly, but a two-week season concentrated on weekends only (Saturdays and Sundays) means demand is compressed into a handful of days, and the first weekend after Thanksgiving is the likeliest to be busiest.
Not described in the record. The listing notes porta-potties on site, which points to a rural field setup without a permanent visitor building.
Not addressed in the source.
Skip Emerald Forest if you're relying on a card or digital payment, since the record confirms this is a cash-only operation, and skip it if you can't make it out within the narrow Thanksgiving-to-early-December window, since the season runs only about two weeks and popular varieties can sell out before it ends.
No specific nearby-farm comparison is available in this record.
Yes. The record confirms this farm is cash only, so bring cash rather than assuming a card will work.
Ten are listed: Balsam fir, Black Hills spruce, Blue spruce, Colorado blue spruce, Douglas fir, Eastern white pine, Norway spruce, Scotch pine, White pine, and White spruce -- a wider list than most farms in the area, including some less common species like Douglas fir and Norway spruce.
No pricing information was found for this farm. Budget flexibly and expect to find out the price on site.
An estimated window of November 27 through December 10, 2026, based on a description of 'after Thanksgiving through the first week in December,' but this hasn't been published directly by the farm for 2026, so treat it as an estimate rather than a confirmed date.
November 27 – December 10, 2026. Saturdays and Sundays. Hours: Saturdays 10am-5pm, Sundays 12pm-5pm.
Pricing was not published when we last checked.
Yes. It's cut-your-own and choose-and-cut (staff cuts it for you), and a saw is provided.
48355 265th Street, Brandon, SD 57005, in Minnehaha County. It is one of 7 farms we track in South Dakota.
We track 7 farms in South Dakota, 6 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.
Its season runs about 14 days against a regional average of 24, so it is a shorter window than most of its neighbours — miss it and it may be sold out before nearby farms close.
What sets it apart locally: it has free netting/baling, which most South Dakota farms on our list do not.
facebook.com · pickyourownchristmastree.org
Checked September 2026.