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In 2008, while hauling a tree home on the top of their SUV, Vivek said to Amy, "Wouldn't it be neat if we had our own tree farm and we could do this on our own property?"
"You've got that land in Shelbyville," said Amy. "Why don't you plant some trees there?"
Without making any mention of a Christmas tree farm, Vivek published a classified ad in the Sentinel News, promoting the use of his property for various agricultural purposes. A Christmas tree farm was never mentioned.
Ron Stella, who previously owned and operated a Christmas tree farm in Missouri, had moved to Shelbyville in 1992 and longed to start a farm again. He read the ad, called Vivek and floated the crazy question, "Would you have any interest in growing Christmas trees?" Vivek's response; "You've got to be kidding! Let's meet."
In 2009, Vivek and Ron planted their first acre of trees with the simple desire to do some farming, determine if they could eventually sell a few, and most importantly, use Christmas trees as a way to share with others, the real meaning of Christmas and tell about the birth of their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
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