Finding Hope in the Heartache: Lessons from the Field

If there’s one thing farming teaches you, it’s resilience.

At Szymanski’s Creekside Acres, we tend to share the joyful, forward-moving moments—the excitement of planting new trees, the laughter at seasonal events, the vision we’re building for the future. We believe farmers are eternal optimists. It’s practically in the job description.

Over the past five years, we’ve poured our hearts into planting a variety of Christmas trees, slowly growing our fields and expanding what we offer through every season. Watching those trees thrive and begin to take shape has been incredibly rewarding. It’s a labor of love—and a long game filled with hope.

But every now and then, nature reminds us who’s really in charge.

Here in Huron County, the deer pressure is unlike anything people have experienced. During the winter months, when the woods no longer offer enough food, the deer venture out—and often, they find their way to our fields. Despite our best efforts with deer repellent and the help of our avid local hunters, the sheer volume of deer per square acre is overwhelming.

This week, we got official confirmation from MSU Extension that over 300 of our Fraser firs have been damaged beyond saving. The deer have eaten them down to the point where they will no longer grow into viable Christmas trees.

And as if that loss weren’t enough, we also had to say goodbye to a calf we had been eagerly waiting for.

This little one was meant to be born at the school, as part of a special experience we had planned for students—to witness new life on the farm and learn about animal care firsthand. We were so excited to share that moment with the kids, and losing the calf before that could happen has been especially heartbreaking. It was more than just a loss for us—it was a missed opportunity to connect and inspire.

To say we are heartbroken is an understatement. It’s frustrating, it’s disheartening, and it’s expensive.

But as always, we go back to the drawing board.

While a permanent fence isn’t in the budget right now, we’re exploring new strategies—stronger repellent options, temporary fencing, and creative ways to deter deer from seeing our fields as a winter buffet. And even as we grieve the loss of a calf and the vision we had for that experience, we remember why we do this in the first place. We aren’t giving up—because that’s just not what farmers do.

We share this not to complain, but to be real. To show that alongside the growth and beauty, there are setbacks and heartbreaks. But even in the loss, we hold onto the hope that drives us. And we’ll keep moving forward—tree by tree, season by season.

Thanks for growing with us, through all of it.

— The Szymanskis