Tuckamony Farm is one of the oldest family operated Christmas tree farms in the country. My great grandfather Forrest C. Crooks planted the first crop of Scots Pine and Norway Spruce in 1929 and opened for his first season in 1934. He operated the farm for twenty five years before he passed the business to my grandfather, Malcolm Crooks. Malcolm has since devoted fifty years to the operation of Tuckamony Farm. We currently offer choose and cut trees, holly from Forrest’s orchard as well as Pennsylvania grown pre-cut trees, wreaths, roping & greens. I thank you for making Tuckamony Farm part of your family’s holiday tradition.
-Lars Crooks, Proprietor
Our History
This 70 acre farm nestled in rural Bucks County was purchased by Forrest and Irene Crooks in 1925. They named it in honor of one of the last Lenni Lenape Native Americans to live in this area, Peg Tuckamony, who made her home on this land.
She wove hickory baskets and traded with the Colonists until her death here at Tuckamony in 1830.
Just 6 years after Calvin Coolidge held the first national Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Washington, Forrest Crooks began planting evergreen seedlings.
The first Christmas tree was sold here in 1934. In the 1950's, Forrest planted the holly orchard, which continues to provide boughs for holiday decorating today.
Some 80 years later, the Crooks family continues the tradition of growing and selling Christmas trees to the public, making Tuckamony Farm one of the oldest continuously operated Christmas tree farms in the country.
Christmas tree and holly were not the only things on the mind of Forrest Crooks. Forrest, an artist, was also concerned about soil and water conservation. In 1939, together with his neighbors and with the technical assistance of the U.S. Soil Conservation Service, a conservation program was developed for the 700 acre Honey Hollow Watershed, which includes the Crooks farm.
This was the first time that landowners cooperated across farm boundaries to manage the soil and water resources on a watershed basis. Because of the significance of this action, the watershed was designated a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior in 1969. Across the country, similar conservation programs continue to be patterned after this successful program. The uniqueness of this approach drew numerous visitors to the watershed and Tuckamony Farm, including professional conservationists, government officials and students to observe conservation techniques.
As an outgrowth of this interest, and educational program blossomed in the late 1960's with the formation of the Honey Hollow Watershed Association. Today the Honey Hollow Education center is operated by the Bucks County Audubon Society. The Center’s environmental educators provide schools and other groups with a broad scope of education programs including and ongoing archaeological dig to uncover the remains of the early 18th century stone cabin believed to have been the home of Peg Tuckamony for the last years of her life.
Our Founder's Memoir
Yesterday
by Forrest C. Crooks
From the age of the horse and buggy to that of suburban sprawl, Forrest Crooks saw great change in his lifetime.
This is his story of growing up in rural Michigan. Written with the goal of explaining the world of his childhood to a new generation, he assembled this collection of short vignettes that reveal the day-to-day reality of a boy growing up at the turn of the century.
Yesterday features descriptive accounts of farm work and boyhood activities, as well as personal anecdotes, like the trick he played on a cruel teacher, the hobos that came begging at his door, and the first time he met a professional artist and decided to become one himself.
We are pleased to be able to share his story with you in this limited print run. Copies are available through our online store.