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BEAR Discussions

BEAR Discussions

"Deep Roots, New Growth" - Northern Family Farms - Episode 622

Oct 16, 2026 · 43 min · 10 segments

Host Charlie Walker and cohost Ken Pearson sit down with siblings Derek and Ashley, third-generation owners of Northern Family Farms, to explore how a Christmas tree farm grew into a thriving nursery…

Host Charlie Walker and cohost Ken Pearson sit down with siblings Derek and Ashley, third-generation owners of Northern Family Farms, to explore how a Christmas tree farm grew into a thriving nursery business. They discuss balancing family and business, embracing innovation, and building lasting partnerships—all while staying rooted in family-first values.

Host Charlie Walker and cohost Ken Pearson sit down with siblings Derek and Ashley, third-generation owners of Northern Family Farms, to explore how a Christmas tree farm grew into a thriving nursery…

Speakers: Ashley AulGuestDerek AulGuestCharlie WalkerHostKen PearsonHost

Show signals: SuitabilitySafe

Top entities: Enterprise resource planning×9 Christmas×10 Wisconsin×4 Illinois×3 Chicago×5

Diversification and Succession8:36 – 11:52

C

Charlie WalkerHost

8:36

in business, it was really because you saw the trends coming and then you went into diversification.

C

Charlie WalkerHost

8:42

And let's talk about your diversification because Christmas trees is not even what you do mostly.

C

Charlie WalkerHost

8:48

And

D

8:49

the Christmas trees really haven't shrunk any from 20 years ago.

D

8:54

We're doing just as many Christmas trees as we were back then.

D

8:57

Right.

D

9:00

uh the nursery side it's just yeah really exploded at exponential rate on the farm which has been a fun it's fun to have two different i mean they operate completely different different seasons um it works out pretty well with again in the yang um with both christmas and uh the nursery stock but um yeah we are still doing the same amount of christmas trees that we were back then

C

Charlie WalkerHost

9:23

Well, Derek, let's talk about you.

C

Charlie WalkerHost

9:24

Now, your parents are running the farm, and you go to study plants.

C

Charlie WalkerHost

9:29

Is that because you fell in love with what you were doing? I knew that's

D

9:33

what I wanted to

C

Charlie WalkerHost

9:34

do.

D

9:35

It was always...

D

9:38

I knew I wanted to come back to the farm.

D

9:39

I like it around here.

D

9:40

I really like the area.

D

9:41

I think it's a beautiful area.

D

9:43

Um, and you know,

A

Ashley AulGuest

9:44

or people vacation.

A

Ashley AulGuest

9:46

Yeah.

A

Ashley AulGuest

9:46

And you,

D

9:47

you, we, we realized that we're in a vacation destination, you know, every day.

D

9:51

I, it takes a while for, I think for people to realize it, but yeah, it's a beautiful area.

D

9:56

It's not flat farm fields.

D

9:57

Uh, you know, so I knew I want to come back to this area.

Enterprise resource planningEntitySoftware category
98%9 mentions
ChristmasEntityFestival
94%10 mentions
WisconsinAdministrative AreaUS state
90%4 mentions
IllinoisAdministrative AreaUS state
87%3 mentions
ChicagoCityCity in Illinois
83%5 mentions
Microsoft ExcelSoftware ApplicationComputer program
79%4 mentions
Midwestern United StatesPlaceRegion in the United States of America
75%2 mentions
Texas A&M UniversityCollege or UniversityLand-grant university in College Station, Texas
71%4 mentions
Christmas treeEntity
67%1 mention
SlackSoftware ApplicationMobile application
63%5 mentions
Campbell'sCompanyFood company
60%2 mentions
JolietCityCity in Illinois
56%2 mentions
Wazee LakeLakeLake in Wisconsin
52%1 mention
U.S. Route 12 in MichiganEntityHighway in the United States of America
48%1 mention
Commonwealth Edison CompanyCompanyCompany
44%1 mention
CBOE Global Markets Inc.EntityStock exchange
40%1 mention
University of MichiganCollege or UniversityPublic university in Ann Arbor, Michigan
37%1 mention
Scouting AmericaCompany
33%1 mention
ScoutingEntity
29%1 mention
University of MinnesotaCollege or UniversityLand-grant university in Minneapolis, Minnesota
25%1 mention
EuropeContinentContinent
21%1 mention
Eddie MurphyPersonAmerican comedian and actor
17%1 mention
LidarEntity
13%2 mentions
MinnesotaAdministrative AreaUS state
10%1 mention
Interstate 35PlaceHighway in the United States of America
6%1 mention
CaliforniaAdministrative AreaUS state
2%1 mention

Business technologyTechnology
Relationship managementBusiness > Business management
Multigenerational business successionFamily > Family businesses
Nursery productionAgriculture > Horticulture
Christmas tree farmingAgriculture > Horticulture > Nursery production
Real Christmas tree cultivation and salesAgriculture > Horticulture > Nursery production > Christmas tree farming
Sibling leadershipFamily > Family businesses > Multigenerational business succession
Succession planning in a horticultural enterpriseFamily > Family businesses > Multigenerational business succession > Sibling leadership
Agricultural information systemsTechnology > Business technology
Nursery automation and data integrationTechnology > Business technology > Agricultural information systems
Partnership-based operationsBusiness > Business management > Relationship management
Agricultural water managementEnvironment > Natural resources
Nursery irrigation dependencyEnvironment > Natural resources > Agricultural water management
Natural resourcesEnvironment
Family businessesFamily
Business managementBusiness
HorticultureAgriculture
Environment
Agriculture
Technology
Business
Family

Diversification and Succession8:36 – 11:52

C

Charlie WalkerHost

8:36

in business, it was really because you saw the trends coming and then you went into diversification.

C

Charlie WalkerHost

8:42

And let's talk about your diversification because Christmas trees is not even what you do mostly.

C

Charlie WalkerHost

8:48

And

D

8:49

the Christmas trees really haven't shrunk any from 20 years ago.

D

8:54

We're doing just as many Christmas trees as we were back then.

D

8:57

Right.

D

9:00

uh the nursery side it's just yeah really exploded at exponential rate on the farm which has been a fun it's fun to have two different i mean they operate completely different different seasons um it works out pretty well with again in the yang um with both christmas and uh the nursery stock but um yeah we are still doing the same amount of christmas trees that we were back then

C

Charlie WalkerHost

9:23

Well, Derek, let's talk about you.

C

Charlie WalkerHost

9:24

Now, your parents are running the farm, and you go to study plants.

C

Charlie WalkerHost

9:29

Is that because you fell in love with what you were doing? I knew that's

D

9:33

what I wanted to

C

Charlie WalkerHost

9:34

do.

D

9:35

It was always...

D

9:38

I knew I wanted to come back to the farm.

D

9:39

I like it around here.

D

9:40

I really like the area.

D

9:41

I think it's a beautiful area.

D

9:43

Um, and you know,

A

Ashley AulGuest

9:44

or people vacation.

A

Ashley AulGuest

9:46

Yeah.

A

Ashley AulGuest

9:46

And you,

D

9:47

you, we, we realized that we're in a vacation destination, you know, every day.

D

9:51

I, it takes a while for, I think for people to realize it, but yeah, it's a beautiful area.

D

9:56

It's not flat farm fields.

D

9:57

Uh, you know, so I knew I want to come back to this area.

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