This story is the second of five profiles of the people selected as the DTN/Progressive Farmer's 2026 America's Best Young Farmers and Ranchers program. Today, we introduce Lucas and Dana Dull of Dull's Tree Farm located northeast of Thorntown, Indiana.

See Lucas and Dana Dull's America's Best Young Farmers and Ranchers video profile at https://bcove.video/….

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When Lucas Dull left his family's Thorntown, Indiana, farm for Purdue University, he did not intend to return four years later. Lucas graduated with an agricultural engineering degree and met his future wife at the university.

Dana, who grew up on a corn, soybean and livestock farm two hours east of the Dulls, earned a degree in math education. They both graduated in May 2012 and were married one month later.

Lucas had a short run with a nine-to-five job but soon knew a desk was not where he wanted to spend his professional life. He was hearing the call of the farm, at that time predominately a corn and soybean operation, but also one with a growing Christmas tree business operated by his father and mother, Tom and Kerry.

"Pretty early on dating Lucas, I knew he had the mindset of agritourism and a vision and mission of adding pumpkins to his family farm," Dana says.

Lucas came home with a proposal. His father remembers that conversation. "We were surprised," Tom says. "Lucas never gave us any indication he wanted to come back. And, our first thought was, 'How are we going to afford to bring him on?'"

Lucas had already been mulling that over. "Well," he told his parents, "Let's grow pumpkins."

Lucas and Dana soon settled near the Dull family farm where today they are raising four children, Eden, Kinsley, Macie and Solomon.

Lucas' and Dana's first pumpkin harvest was in 2014. Only five years later, the 20-day fall season anchored by pumpkins began to outperform the four-week Christmas tree season. Income from the two enterprises together allowed the Dulls to make a major transition.

"The fall agritourism and Christmas tree business became large enough that we were able to get out of traditional row-crop farming in 2019 and fully focus our time and energy on the agritourism," Lucas says. The family's row-crop enterprise is leased to Tom's nephew.

Dull's Tree Farm has become a powerful agricultural and retail draw just north of Indianapolis, drawing 80,000 visitors a year. Visitors tell the Dulls they browse the farm's offerings for up to four hours during each visit. Dull's Tree Farm was voted the 2018 Best Christmas Tree Farm in Indiana by Good Housekeeping.

CREATE FARM MEMORIES

"Even if a visitor doesn't leave with a tree, we want them to experience the farm and create memories," Dana says.

Dull's Tree Farm tends 65,000 Christmas trees, selling 6,000 trees annually. Eight acres grow 40 varieties of pumpkins and squash. Whether trees or pumpkins, guests also wind their way through 45 down-on-the-farm activities. The corn maze last year celebrated 50 years of "Wheel of Fortune" (no spinning required). Guests cuddle up with friendly farm animals or next to a firepit with marshmallows. There's face-painting, pumpkin-decorating and a barrel ride.

A giant slide races down one hillside. A farm equipment playground is anchored by a faded-green John Deere 3300 combine -- with a slide. Over by a pair of gravity wagons, basketball hoops turn old harvest gear into a jump-shot challenge.

Feeling crafty? Join the "Pine and Wine" wreath-making class. Just outside, paintballs. And, if you hear a thud, don't worry -- it's just someone launching a pumpkin from the cannon.

Dull's Tree Farm's 2,400-square-foot Trading Post is a busy retail hub selling ornaments, wreathes and branded apparel. Locally produced wares, such as honey, are prominently displayed throughout the store. The Dulls make their own fudge to sell.

BUILD A UNIQUE FOOD MENU

Lucas and Dana have discovered great demand for unique, seasonal foods. The "super slushy" -- an apple cider slushy with whipped topping and a farm-made apple cider donut on top -- is a top food item. The Dulls recently added stroopwafels, a popular Dutch cookie made of two thin, circular waffles sandwiched together. Food sales make up about 20 to 25% of their total income.

"We're focused," Dana says, "on sustainability and diversification, and look for new ways to get people out to the farm and connect them to agriculture." One way is to expand seasons. The Dulls have added a spring adult Easter egg hunt paired with a local brewery, and a "Christmas in July" event, drawing 100 vendors and an appearance from Santa.

"My growth plan is an expansion of tree season focused on atmosphere, food and entertainment," Lucas says. "I would love to find a big, trackless train to add a train experience as part of the Christmas season."

EARN THEIR BUSINESS

The Dulls nurture the loyalty of their customers. Facebook posts and emails drawn from a list of 18,000 names feature the Dulls planting trees, shearing branches or adding new activities. But they find word-of-mouth is their best advertisement. "We believe there is strong value in a friend telling you about a great experience they had at our farm."

Dull's Tree Farm grows four varieties of Christmas trees. Concolor fir (slow growers, longer needles, strong branches, citrus lemon and orange scent); Scotch pine (Dull's first pines, grows in almost any soil condition, high degree of pest susceptibility); white pine (long, soft needles, popular for traditional tree trimming -- ornament balls, tinsel -- weaker branches can't hold heavy ornaments); Canaan fir (most popular tree, shorter-needled fir tree, fragrant, strong branches).

Tree farming has similarities to row crops. Weed and insect control are important. The Dulls fertilize trees annually. Applications are nitrogen mostly, but also phosphorus and potassium, and some sulfur and micronutrients.

What is different from a typical Midwest row crop is the eight-year rotation for trees and long days of laborious care -- shaping every tree every year is only one chore. The Christmas tree market can hold great risk with a changing consumer preference for trees.

"You can't make changes to your supply quickly," Lucas says. "We try to make sure we have a comfortable supply for whatever (business) growth we might see between now and eight years from now."

FARM IN TRANSITION

What will certainly change over the course of the next eight years is governorship of Dull's Tree Farm. This is a business in transition.

Lucas and Dana have become majority owners. He is general manager. She is operations manager with 115 seasonal employees reporting to her. Tom and Kerry have pulled back some from the business but retain an important advisory role. Tom is busy among the trees. Kerry maintains the books. "They also give us a lot of good counsel wisdom," Lucas says.

The family has taken on the services of a business coach and a financial planner to help manage the transition. The coach helps the Dulls create structure and organization. The financial planner helps with financial structure and succession planning.

"Over how many years, this just worked," Lucas says. "Then all of a sudden, our staff grew. We would bring in 15 people to help shake and bale trees. Now, we have 115 people, and that comes with roles and responsibilities and job development. A coach helps you see what these changes mean and what you need to think about."

"The coach gave us ideas that I don't think we would have ever come up with," Dana says. "She helped us recognize each of our skill sets and how to organize an organizational chart to help the business function better. She also gave us tools for communication and how best to implement roles and responsibilities."

TIME CONSCIOUS

Important to the family's transition has been time. "We've been taking it incrementally," Lucas says. "It's not just a one big step."

For Tom and Kerry, it is learning to let go. "You have to learn as patriarch and matriarch that there comes a time when you have to hand over the reins," Tom says. "They're not going to learn without us doing it."

Lucas and Dana believe they have proven their value. Over two years, they earned their way into the business, not as managers first but as paid employees. "We wanted to make sure this was something he really wanted to do," Tom says. "They proved to us that they were serious about it. Lucas and Dana are doing an admirable job."

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Editor's Note: This is the second of five profiles of our 16th class of America's Best Young Farmers and Ranchers sponsored by DTN/Progressive Farmer. They are among the best of their generation who have chosen agriculture as a profession and lifestyle. The annual award recognizes five farmers and ranchers under 40 who best represent the pioneering promises of American agriculture: Farmers and ranchers who are innovative, imaginative and who work to improve their communities. Nominations are judged on the operations' overall business plan, as well as the farmers' involvement in the community and the ag industry. We're already seeking nominations for our 2027 class. If you know someone (you can nominate yourself or family member) or would like more information and a nomination form, contact Progressive Farmer Senior Editor Dan Miller at dan.miller@dtn.com and cc DTN Social Media and Young Farmers Editor Susan Payne at susan.payne@dtn.com.

See more in the series:

-- "America's Best Young Farmers/Ranchers-1," https://www.dtnpf.com/….

To hear more about this year's class, check out DTN's Field Posts podcast, Episode 275: 2026 Best Young Farmers and Ranchers at https://www.dtnpf.com/….

Dan Miller can be reached at dan.miller@dtn.com

Follow him on social platform X @DMillerPF

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