Dull’s Tree Farm is a Boone County Treasure

Dull’s Tree Farm

is a Boone County Treasure

Writer // Janelle Morrison • Photography // Allie Nicole Photography and Images by Amber

Experience the magic of the holidays at Dull’s Tree Farm this season. After the Dulls received an outpouring of support from the Boone County community and beyond when a fire destroyed 60 percent of the Dull’s new low ropes course, I thought it would be appropriate to highlight this remarkable family and what makes their tree farm a treasure within our county.

MEET THE DULL FAMILY

Tom and Kerry Dull’s fascinating story began in the Netherlands where the two met as cultural exchange students while in college. Tom graduated from Purdue University and Kerry from the University of Nebraska. Tom shared that the “spark” that developed in the Netherlands grew into a marriage in 1982.

The Dull’s journey led them to purchasing their historic 1800s Boone County farmstead, and their passion for the tradition of picking out a live Christmas tree compelled them to try growing Christmas trees on their property in 1985. They planted 200 Scotch pines and sold their first trees in 1993.

“We soon discovered the Indiana Christmas Tree Growers Association and joined that group,” Tom Dull shared. “We started learning from them and now, we’re the ‘old pros’ and are sharing information with the newcomers. When we sold our first trees, we thought if we sold 100 [Christmas trees], we’d consider it a success. When we sold 200 trees, we thought, ‘Maybe we’re on to something here.’ So, we planted 200 trees that first year, 500 [trees] the year after, 1,000 the year after that and continued to grow our business. We just kept planting and used up all the ground that we had. Now, we have 60 acres in just Christmas trees and plant between 8,500 to 9,000 trees every spring.”

The Dulls plant their Christmas trees as bare root seedlings and grow them for another 7 to 8 years, so by the time one of their trees is displayed in your living room, it is actually 10 to 11 years old.

A FAMILY ENDEAVOR

Dull’s Tree Farm has expanded its offerings over the years and is owned and operated by members of the Dull family. In the fall of 2013, the Dulls’ son, Lucas, left a job as an engineer to pursue his passion for agritourism. Lucas and his wife, Dana, have joined the farming operation full-time and have grown the family business by adding Dull’s Pumpkin Harvest that boasts u-pick pumpkins, a corn maze and several other family-friendly entertainment components for folks to enjoy throughout the month of October.

“We have a daughter, Erin, who is 2 years older than Lucas, and she went to

school and graduated with a physical therapy degree,” Dull proudly shared. “She is here on the farm part-time and is our events manager. So, it is truly a family affair, and we also bring in a lot of retirees who want a part-time job and who really like being here.”

Dull shared that during their pumpkin and Christmas tree seasons, the farm employs upwards of 120 people.

A PLACE FOR RESPITE AND RETREATS

During our conversation, Dull shared that he’s had a fascination with log cabins since childhood and as a result, he has salvaged two genuine log cabins from other properties and reconstructed them on his property. Upon procuring the second cabin, Dull fashioned both [cabins] into one spectacular structure.

The Dulls rent their cabin out as a bed and breakfast as well as a meeting space for people looking for respite or to rent for special retreats. It’s not too far of a drive but is removed from the hustle and bustle of town and is smack in the middle of nature.

There is a commercial kitchen on the premise. and Kerry [Dull] handles all of the farm’s catering for their guests. Tom [Dull] created [himself] an extraordinary literal waterfall shower feature in the cabin that is one of the most popular features.

GRATEFUL FOR THE COMMUNITY

Dull spoke about the outpouring of support after the fire on their property and how they were able to rebuild their low ropes feature so that kids and guests could enjoy it this fall. Dull also thanked the Thorntown/Sugar Creek [volunteer] Fire Department and the Lebanon Fire Department for responding to their property in 13 minutes once the 911 call was placed.

“The support from the community was overwhelming,” Dull expressed. “We had all kinds of emails and phone messages and things from people who said they wanted to help. So, one Sunday afternoon, after the insurance company had released [the structure], we put it out there that this was going to be the day that we were going to tear down, and we had people — volunteer laborers — from the community show up with equipment, and we cleaned it up and got it ready for the rebuild.”

For a complete list of hours and events at Dull’s Tree Farm, visit dullstreefarm.com, and be sure to follow them on social media via Facebook and Instagram.

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ZCHS’ Laila Hull:

On Leaving the Eagle’s Nest to Play at UNC

Writer // Janelle Morrison • Photography // Laura Arick and submitted

Zionsville Community High School girls basketball is a remarkable athletic program that produces extraordinary talent under its head coach, Andy Maguire, and coaching staff. This season is no exception, and it is with great pleasure that we are featuring ZCHS senior Laila Hull [forward] on our last cover of 2022.

Hull has committed to the University of North Carolina, her “dream school,” and while Hull is working on making her last season as a Lady Eagle the most productive of her high school athletic career, she spoke with Zionsville Monthly about how her time at ZCHS and the support of family, teammates and community have prepared her for the next chapter and playing for UNC.

OBSERVATIONS FROM THE SIDELINES

Coach Maguire has observed Hull’s growth over the past 4 years, and he shared his thoughts on her evolution and contributions to the Lady Eagles basketball program.

“Laila’s athleticism has been something that stands out,” Maguire said. “And she’s really committed herself the last 2 years on her skill development. Some of that our program’s helped her with, but a lot of it she’s done on her own. She’s listened to what the college coaches were telling her that she needed to get better at, and she went out and really worked on those skills. Laila’s a really good all-around player, and she’s got a really nice jump shot now and a great three-point shot. Her ball handling improved immensely between her junior and senior years. Not that she was a poor [ball] handler before, she’s just very confident with the ball in her hands and more decisive now.”

Maguire added, “I really saw that growth and [confidence] this summer, and that’s definitely carried over to the

Laila Hull

Height:

6’1

Position: Forward

CLASS:

2023 ZCHS 22–23 Varsity Basketball

GP 8

P/G 23.3

Ast/G 2.4

Reb/G 9.9

Stl/G 2.9

Blk/G 1.4

court so far this year. As far as a leader, she’s become more confident in speaking up and leading her teammates in a positive way. We have a lot of really good athletes and good teammates that have surrounded Laila and have helped her to be successful. We’ve got a good support cast [current teammates] for Laila, and they’re all capable of moving on to that next level as well.”

THE “DREAM SCHOOL”

Attending UNC has been a dream of Hull’s since she was younger, and she shared that she may have been somewhat influenced by her father’s appreciation of the university’s athletic programs and adoration of one of UNC’s most revered alumni — Michael Jordan.

“I’m super excited,” Hull expressed. “It’s a really good feeling to have it off my shoulders going into my senior season and being able to play, not worrying about recruiting and wondering where I’m going. It’s a really good fit for me too.”

When asked what about UNC’s women’s basketball program attracted Hull the most, she replied, “It just really seemed like a family and more authentically than the other places I visited. They’re very inclusive, and I could see myself playing with them. And there’s nothing really to dislike about the school in general. UNC has great academics and great sports. It’s a really good atmosphere to just be around, and the coaching staff has been amazing throughout this whole process.”

Hull shared that she intends to study psychology but acknowledged that is not yet set in stone, as “many people change their major at least once.”

GROWTH AMID CHALLENGES

Like so many young people whose high school careers were interrupted by the pandemic, Hull had to push through the challenges that it brought on and off the court.

“Our season ended right before all this stuff happened my freshman year,” Hull recalled. “My sophomore year was definitely very interesting because of COVID with all the game cancellations, trying to figure out how to practice, to be a team, wearing masks and all that stuff. But we pushed through it very well. Just being able to grow as a team and getting closer with my teammates was the main thing, I think. We have many highlights, and we’ve continued to grow. My junior season was better than my sophomore and freshman seasons, and I’m hoping that my senior season will have been even better as well.”

When asked where Hull feels she has most improved, she replied, “I think my [basketball] IQ, in general, and being able to do multiple things on the floor — being able to score but I can also defend, rebound, handle the ball and do a lot of things that my team really needs me to do. I feel like I’m more well-rounded. I spent most of this summer and last year working on my outside shot and ball handling.”

FAMILY AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT

Acknowledging that she didn’t get to this point in her high school athletic career and commitment to UNC without the support of her family, teammates, coaches and hometown community, Hull shared her advice for the younger classmen and even younger aspiring athletes.

“I think it’s really a mindset,” Hull stated. “If you don’t think you’re going to succeed, then you’re not going to. I’ve had many points in my life where I didn’t know if this what I wanted to do anymore, and I’ve been in major slumps where I didn’t feel like I was improving. Obviously, I kept at it and kept going, and it has brought me to the place where I’m at today. I don’t take anything for granted. I’m always in the gym or with the team or always doing something basketball related. It really takes dedication and knowing what you need to improve on, what you’re good at and getting better about what you’re not good at. Practice is key.”

Hull concluded, “I know people say you have to believe in yourself, which is very true. But if you don’t have the belief from other people, it could be very hard to get to where you want to be or be motivated enough to get there. I was very lucky to have family and teammates who knew of my capabilities even when I wasn’t doing so great. They still put their faith and trust in me, and I took that to heart. I knew that I needed to get the job done, to do what I needed to help them and to help myself.”