JEFFERSON COUNTY, Mo. – Congressman Jason Smith (MO-08) visited Meert Tree Farm in Jefferson County last week, touring the operation and meeting with the Meert family to discuss the challenges facing Missouri’s specialty crop producers and multi-generational family farms.

Congressman Smith said, “The Meert family has spent more than 60 years building something special here. Every fall and winter, thousands of families make the trip out to start a holiday tradition, cutting their own Christmas tree down with a handsaw, and that’s a testament to what the Meerts have built. I know firsthand what it means to fight to keep a family farm going — I bought my own grandparents’ farm while I was in law school so it could stay in our family, and I understand the sacrifice that takes.

“Families like the Meert’s are exactly who I was fighting for when I authored the Working Families Tax Cuts. By permanently doubling the small business expensing threshold and locking in 100 percent immediate expensing, farms like this one can keep reinvesting in their operation. I’ll keep fighting for policies that support family farms because they’re the backbone of rural Missouri and deserve every opportunity to thrive.”

Meert Tree Farm was founded in 1963 by Domien Meert and his father, expanding to its current 150-acre Festus location in 1980. The farm is now managed by second- and third-generation family members following the passings of founders Domien and Eileen. Meert Tree Farm grows Scotch Pine, White Pine, and Norway Spruce across roughly 80 planted acres, with trees taking five to eight years to mature before they’re ready for sale. The farm draws visitors from across the region and allows customers to cut their own trees using only a handsaw, and the Meert family expects to sell 3,000 trees this season. In addition to its Christmas tree operation, the farm also features a pumpkin patch and corn maze spanning 15 to 18 acres.

During the visit, the Meert family discussed rising input costs such as fuel, and the challenges of navigating regulatory and liability requirements as a specialty crop producer.

The Working Families Tax Cuts, which Congressman Smith authored, made permanent 100 percent immediate expensing, the small business deduction, and doubled small business expensing thresholds, while also renewing the Opportunity Zone program to target investment toward rural communities like Jefferson County. Congressman Smith also highlighted USDA Farm Service Agency programs, including Farm Ownership Loans and Beginning Farmer and Rancher programs, that can help multi-generational farm families access the financing they need to keep operations like Meert Tree Farm running for generations to come.