It was 1973 when Brian and Sue Urquhart bought the property that would eventually become Urquhart's Tree Farm. At the time, it was a dairy farm with more than 100 head of cattle. Brian, a full-time attorney out of Ann Arbor, was a Dexter native eager to return home after a stint in the suburbs. Sue, a former schoolteacher and now full-time mother originally from Grosse Pointe, was new to the rural life but was excited for the opportunity to try something new. Together on the farm, they quickly learned that dairy farming was more work than they anticipated. In the early 1980s they sold their cows, and continued to plant traditional row crops and hay on their land. In the mid 1980s, Sue suggested that they start growing Christmas trees, taking inspiration from other local Christmas tree farms in the Ann Arbor area.

The farm opened to the public in 1991, and at the time only occupied the small field on the corner of Jerusalem and Steinbach roads. In their first year, Brian and Sue sold less than 100 trees. Over the years, however, the farm grew in sales and the Urquharts planted more trees each spring. The business was relocated to our historic barn in the late 1990s, which it continues to operate from to this day. Urquhart's is now one of the largest u-cut Christmas tree farms in Southeast Michigan, with more than 80,000 trees planted across 340 acres.

Brian Urquhart sadly passed away in 2022. Sue still lives on the property and continues to engage with the staff of the farm. Most of the day-to-day business is now run by the couple's two sons, Andy and John, who now have grown kids of their own taking on some of the business responsibility. Each fall, the Urquhart family comes together along with a talented group of more than 20 additional staff members to open the farm to the public. We pride ourselves in providing a unique tree-cutting experience and a fun tradition for all involved.