Specialties
Choose and cut Christmas Trees: More than 5,000 mature trees to choose from in our fields. Wagon rides to and from the field. Select from scotch or white pine, canaan or douglas fir, and norway or blue spruce.
Pre-cut Christmas Trees: We have a huge selection of pre-cut trees. Along with the choose and cut varieties, we import trees that are impossible to grow in our local climate. Fraser fir from MI and NC; Noble, nordmann, and grand fir from OR.
Balled and burlapped / Potted trees: Plant your tree after Christmas or order a number of trees to plant in spring or fall. We can dig any of the Choose and Cut trees. We have hundreds on hand during the Christmas season.
Wreaths / Decorations: Hundreds of decorated wreaths in many different sizes and shapes. While in the gift shop, look through the thousands of ornaments on display.
Pumpkins Patch / Corn maze: 20 varieties of pumpkins and gourds. 2 acre corn maze. Tractor drawn hayrides to and from the maze and pumpkin patch.
History
Established in 1968.
when Maurice and Betty Daniken, the founders, talked to the Illinois Conservation Department to find a suitable use for five acres of poor farm ground. The Danikens planted 500 trees that first year and each year they planted a few more new trees until the yearly planting rate reached 5,000 trees per year in 1985. By the mid 80's, Daniken Tree Farm was selling thousands of trees every year and now repeatedly approaches 5,000 trees per year. The senior Danikens planted their last trees in the spring of 1995. Their son David and his wife Joey began concurrent plantings in 1994 and have since purchased the business in 2002. The pumpkin patch at Daniken Tree Farm began in 2009 as a small 1.5 acre experiment. Moving forward, the pumpkin patch has evolved into a 2 acre field located next to the 2 acre corn maze and farm pond.
Meet the Business Owner: David D.
I'm a sceond generation Christmas Tree farmer. I've worked at the farm my entire life with the exception of a 4 year hiatus in the Marine Corps. During this period plus two more years in the reserves, I was lucky enough to become a navigator on KC130 transport and refueling aircraft. This let me travel the world extensively. I guess farming can get in some peoples bones, because I left a great job and a fantastic group of men and women to come home to the farm. While planting my own trees and getting in a position to buy the business from my parents, I completed a bachelors degree in business entrepreneurship from SIUE. In November 1996 I met my wife, Joey, on a blind date set up by her brother. We have two girls, Emma and Kate. We purchased the farming business from my parents in 2002 and continue to grow and diversify Daniken Tree Farm. I also work part time with my dad and brother in their construction business as a carpenter.
