A young Perry County farm that has grown into more of a Christmas-themed family outing than a quick tree stop, with a solid weekend window, but 2026 hours and pricing weren't confirmed as of this check.
The 18 Acres, run by Hope and Calvin Cooley in Perry County near Richton, is one of the more clearly documented small farms in this batch even without confirmed 2026 dates or pricing. What the record does establish is a farm that has grown beyond a simple tree lot into a broader Christmas-themed outing, with a hayride, wagon ride, petting zoo, goat walk, gem mining, and a concessions/bakery stand alongside the actual tree cutting.
Unlike farms where you park, walk a field, cut, and leave, the activity list here — hayride, wagon ride, petting zoo, farm animals, goat walk, gem mining, concessions, picnic area — points to a half-day family visit. That’s worth planning around: if you’re trying to squeeze in a fast tree pickup between errands, this probably isn’t the stop, but if you want to make an afternoon of it, the pieces are here.
According to the research notes, local news coverage (WDAM, December 2025) reported that improved weather following Mississippi’s 2023-2024 drought helped the farm’s trees recover, and that the operation exceeded its own projected sales that season, driven by repeat visitors and Perry County school groups. That’s a specific, sourced detail rather than a generic claim, and it suggests a farm that’s building a local following in just its second or third year of ownership under the Cooleys, rather than one running on inertia. It also offers school-tour and group-reservation options, which lines up with that school-group traffic.
The one operational detail that could trip up a visitor is the weekday policy: this farm is open to walk-ins only on Saturday and Sunday (9am-5pm); any other day requires calling ahead for an appointment. If you’re planning a weekday visit around a day off work, call 601-872-4383 first rather than just showing up.
On the money side, there’s genuinely nothing to calculate: no price_from or price_note is on record, so no dollar figure can be responsibly offered here, whether for cut-your-own or staff-cut trees. What is confirmed is that payment options are unusually broad for a farm this size — cash, debit, all major credit cards, and CashApp are all accepted, according to the record, which removes at least one common headache (scrambling for cash at a rural cash-only lot) even though the actual price remains an open question until you call or arrive.
The tree lineup — Carolina Sapphire, Eastern Red Cedar, Fraser Fir, Leyland Cypress, and Murray Cypress — gives visitors a genuine choice between a true fir and the cypress/cedar varieties that dominate warmer-climate Mississippi farms. If you specifically want a Fraser fir, it’s listed here, though the record doesn’t say whether it’s grown on-site or trucked in as precut stock, so ask on arrival if that distinction matters to you.
The honest bottom line: The 18 Acres looks like a farm worth the visit for the fuller Christmas-park experience, backed by real local coverage of a strong recent season, but call ahead before a weekday trip and don’t expect to find hours or pricing locked in online before you go.
Weekends (Saturday and Sunday, 9am-5pm) are the reliable window here; weekdays require an appointment rather than walk-in access, so don't plan a weekday drive-by without calling first.
With a hayride, petting zoo, goat walk, gem mining, and a bakery/concessions stand alongside the tree lot, this reads as a half-day family outing rather than a grab-a-tree-and-go errand, especially on a weekend.
Not stated directly in the record, but local news coverage described the farm exceeding projected sales in a recent season on repeat visitors and school groups, which suggests a growing, increasingly popular weekend crowd rather than a quiet, undiscovered spot.
Not described in the record.
Not addressed in any source checked.
Skip The 18 Acres if you're set on a specific weekday visit without calling ahead first, since weekdays are appointment-only, and skip it if you need firm 2026 hours, dates, or prices confirmed in writing before you commit, since none of those were published as of this check.
Not available in the record checked.
The farm had not published 2026-specific dates as of this check. Its standing pattern is Saturday and Sunday 9am-5pm, with weekdays available by appointment only.
Both options are offered here — cut-your-own and choose-and-cut (staff-assisted) are both marked true in the record, and a saw is provided.
Carolina Sapphire, Eastern Red Cedar, Fraser Fir, Leyland Cypress, and Murray Cypress, per the most recent listing checked.
The record lists a hayride, wagon ride, petting zoo, farm animals, a goat walk, gem mining, concessions/bakery, a picnic area, wreaths, and garlands — a fuller Christmas-park experience than a bare tree lot.
2026 dates had not been published when we last checked. In past seasons it has run: Saturday and Sunday 9am-5pm; weekdays by appointment. 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), and a saw is provided.
852 Buck Creek Road, Richton, MS 39476, in Perry County. It is one of 5 farms we track in Pine Belt MS.
We track 5 farms in Pine Belt MS, 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 a hayride or sleigh ride, a cocoa or cider stand, which most Pine Belt MS farms on our list do not.
One caveat worth repeating: this farm had not published its 2026 dates when we last checked, while 0 of the 5 farms we track in Pine Belt MS had. Treat any date you see elsewhere as last year's until the farm confirms it.
There is 1 other farm we track in Perry County. All Pine Belt MS farms →
the18acres.farm · pickyourownchristmastree.org · mschristmastrees.com
Checked September 2026.