As temperatures rise again this week, very few of us are thinking about Christmas.
Cora Hoffschneider is, however. The Centennial High graduate and owner of A Tree and a Truck Co. is making plans.
Hoffschneider started her business in 2020 as part of her Supervised Agricultural Experience in FFA. She was a freshman and decided she would sell live Christmas trees and wreaths. The greenery is shipped to her home from a company in Minnesota.
“My dad knew someone who did that and was able to find a wholesaler,” Hoffschneider said.
Her mom helped promote the business through social media posts, but Hoffschneider has taken over that part of the business. Both parents provided help, she said.
“They’re a farmer and a baker. Their guidance helped a lot,” Hoffschneider said. “It’s not just mine. The whole family works together.”
The first year, she ordered 75 Christmas trees and more wreaths. Sales weren’t just to family members, she said.
This year, she ordered 125 trees and 60 wreaths. Word of mouth has been a primary method of advertising, but she also still posts on social media, www.facebook.com/atreeandatruckco.
Hoffschneider has Frasier firs, balsam firs, Siberian firs and white pines. She said her favorite is the Frasier because it has the strongest scent.
She orders the trees before Thanksgiving so they arrive in time for the Christmas season. When they arrive at her home, she has a crew who comes every year to help unload.
The tree trunks are cut when they arrive to allow the sap to flow and the trees to last longer. The trees are then set in water in the family’s machine shed and wreaths are hung on the walls.
“It smells amazing,” Hoffschneider said.
The shed is open the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of Thanksgiving week for people to come buy their tree.
“It is a little nerve-wracking,” Hoffschneider said. “But I like the risk.”
She gives tips for caring for the trees, as well. Among them are keep the tub filled with warm water to keep the tree alive through the Christmas season.
Most trees are 7 to 8 feet tall, but she has had some that are up to 12 feet tall.
She does do special orders for people who might need or want a larger tree for their space. Table top trees are smaller versions.
The wreaths come pre-made, but Hoffschneider and her crew add bows and other decorations once they arrive.
“We are very crafty,” she said with a smile. “We’ll have a girls’ night in the shed.”
She’s been able to keep the business going while she attends the University of Nebraska-Lincoln but said her brother Jake, a freshman at Centennial, is now taking some of the responsibilities.
“It’s basically two weeks of hands-on,” Hoffschneider said. “It’s been good.”
Good enough that she caught the attention of the National FFA Agricultural Proficiency Awards committee. Hoffschneider is one of four national finalists for the Ag Sales Entrepreneurship Agricultural Proficiency Award.
“Agricultural Proficiency Awards honor FFA members who, through supervised agricultural experiences, have developed specialized skills that they can apply toward their future careers,” A news release from the National FFA Organization said.
The award is supported by companies like John Deere, Bayer and Syngenta.
Hoffschneider said the road to the award starts at the district FFA competition, which she won. At state, she won again, and her application was sent on to nationals. A committee chooses the top four, and Hoffschneider made the cut.
“That was my biggest goal,” she said.
She finished second at state her senior year, missing the chance to compete at nationals that year.
She found out in August that she was one of the final four. She was scheduled to be interviewed by the committee the last week of September, but she won’t find out how she did until the national convention.
“We find out on stage,” she said.
Hoffschneider will also receive the American Degree, which is the highest degree an FFA member can earn.
She is a sophomore at UNL majoring in ag business and hopes to work in banking, finance or sales after she graduates.
