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Chanhassen * 952-934-5659

Leuthner Well Company

Victoria * 952-443-2582

Laser and Electrolysis

Chanhassen 952-474-7474

Dine in Downtown Victoria * 952-443-2858

Victoria * 952-443-2022

MACKENTHUN’S MEAT & DELI

St. Bonifacius * 952-3446-1234

St. Bonifacius * 952-446-1338

Crossroads Medical Centers, P.A.

Chaska 448-2050

Shakopee 496-6700 Prior Lake 447-1700

Holy Family Catholic High School

Victoria * 952-443-4659

by Sue Orsen

Who would have ever thought, at the age of 14, that he was opening a furrow and planting the roots of a multi-million dollar business? Maybe Jeff Hartman. Maybe his father, the late Marvin Hartman. Seems their thoughts were deeply rooted in trees from early on.

Jeff, 51, is the president and CEO of Hartman Companies, a large and successful business that encompasses the Hartman Tree Farm and, as its name implies, other businesses and services, all of them related and rooted on 30 acres at Bavaria Road in Victoria, Minnesota.

The roots were originally planted and nourished in the field of the father -- which was home building -- and in the fields of the son -- dirt and trees and other things green and growing. All told, Jeff employs about 10 full time and 45 seasonal employees. His company grows a tree farm, maintains related equipment, operates a modern office with expertise in digital technology, and occupies buildings that include a retail nursery center.

The story unfolds like a little green bud in springtime, slowly at first and then it bursts into fullness of life for the sweetness of summer. The resulting canopy of leaves brings everything to full season, one year after the other.

***

The story opens with 260 acres of farmland purchased over the years by Marv Hartman from families with last names like Batzli, Kerber, Tschimperle, Ebert, Gay, and Schmieg.

Most of the acreage came to be developed into residential neighborhoods including Parkwood, Applewood, and The Woodlands. Small portions of it went to Holy Family Catholic High School and the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. There was also a bit of land swapping in the vicinity to accommodate orderly development.

The remaining 30 acres, all dedicated to Hartman Companies, are utilized for the yard but the biggest chunk is for the tree farm. The yard accommodates the storage and maintenance of vehicles and equipment. The office building is equipped with computers, monitors, desks, and other work space. The retail nursery center is attractive and inviting.

Hardly any of the above is visible from Bavaria Road because of the large setback. Quite visible, however, are the tree fields along Bavaria Road and State Highway 5. The trees grow in neat and orderly rows and appear to be an extension of the Landscape Arboretum or the Minnesota Research Center.

Hartman Tree Farm

“It began with 5,000 trees from the DNR,” said Jeff. “My dad thought it sounded like a good way to get trees to landscape the homes he was building. That was about in 1968. The DNR has programs where it comes out and plants trees. Mainly the DNR planted ash, linden, and maple here. After planting it takes seven years before they’re ready to be harvested for sale. We have a lot of oaks and maples today because they’re native to this area, but also evergreen, mainly spruce and pine, and a variety of other trees and shrubs.”

“So at first the trees were for the homes that Dad built,” continued Jeff. “We would take backhoes to dig out a tree and try to get a clump of dirt with it. That’s how primitive it was. But it turned into a real tree farm.”

Hartmans found the soil at Bavaria Road to be good and rich. Referencing the early days of the tree farm, he said, “This place was so fertile. Everything grew fast. There are two feet of topsoil on this farm and clay below that, so it holds water and doesn’t need irrigation. Then we started selling trees to landscapers, wholesale.”

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