About Us
In 1953, Lamont and Thelma Cook moved to Fennimore, WI from a farm near Shullsburg to build a life and a family together. Lamont and Thelma purchased the land which is now Cooks’ Woods, where they raised three sons. Since then, the land has been owned and managed by members of their family.
Dave Cook, Lamont and Thelma’s second son, has been the farm’s proprietor since 1984. Until 1999, he used the farmland to raise grain and hogs, as did many other farmers in the region. In 1994, Dave married Barbara Gist, a local United Methodist pastor. Shortly after that, in 1995, the couple began to plant Christmas trees in some of the farm’s unused pastures.
As Dave and Barb’s Christmas tree business grew, many changes were made to the farm and its buildings. The chicken house became a wreath shop, and one of the livestock barns was modified to store freshly-cut boughs. Most notable, however, were the changes to the dairy barn, which was transformed into a display area for trees and greenery. Visitors to the farm take a step back in time when they enter it. An icon of the rural southwestern Wisconsin landscape, this barn, built in the 1940s, radiates charm, history, and character.
Today, Cooks’ Woods consists of approximately 50 acres of fields containing nearly 40,000 trees. Every summer, students and young adults work at Cooks’ Woods. They put in many hours shearing, fertilizing, and mowing to ensure the trees and grounds are set for the Christmas season. As the holidays approach, even more help is needed, especially when it comes to building greenery. With the help of skilled part-time employees hired from nearby communities, Cooks’ Woods produces more than 1,000 pieces of greenery and about a mile of garland each year.
The Cooks and their dedicated staff enjoy cultivating products that bring pleasant memories to mind for many of their customers. We invite you to visit us in the Christmas season (or by appointment in any season) to experience some of the magic of the Wisconsin countryside and reconnect with the roots we all have in nature’s life-giving cycles.
