Business Profile: Dolmage Tree Farm

Every fall morning, Denny Dolmage pours himself a cup of coffee and steps off his deck, headed out into the Dolmage Tree Farm. With dew droplets clinging to his shoes, Dolmage walks through the rows of trees, admiring the brilliant colors of fall and checking the trees.

A habit he learned from his father, Leonard, a life-long farmer, Dolmage admits that he cherishes the time he spends out in his tree nursery.

“I like the peace and the quiet, it’s very tranquil out there,” Dolmage said. “When I worked at John Deere I’d come out here to relieve all of that tension and pressure from working in the office.”

Dolmage started the tree farm in 1981, transforming a five-acre plot on the family farm into a tree nursery. Together with his wife, Cindy, the two spent every night and weekend for the first month planting the initial 500 trees, a mix of evergreens and walnut trees.

“I have to plant trees every spring, it’s a ritual for me,” Dolmage said.

Over the years the farm at 3273 Ashworth Road has expanded in size and scope. As Dolmage continued to plant more and more trees, they kept transforming farmland into new areas for the nursery. With over 15 acres, there are now thousands of trees on the property.

The business has shifted as well over the years. Initially Dolmage grew primarily evergreens, which he planted using a simple spade method. Now, nearly all of the new nursery stock that he plants every year is deciduous, or leafy, trees, which Dolmage plants using an auger mounted to the back of his vintage tractor.

“As I get older, I’ve started to plant bigger trees,” Dolmage said. “I decided that I wanted more color, so I we started planting deciduous trees (which lose their leaves each fall) to get some of the pretty fall colors.” 

When Ben McDougal and his wife began building their new house in West Des Moines they knew that one of the things they wanted was a back yard with plenty of shade. Driving through the neighborhood, they realized that many of lots didn’t have any trees, and those that did had trees that were years away from being able to provide shade. So when a friend recommended Dolmage and told them that he had the biggest trees in town, McDougal didn’t hesitate to call him.

“Our house is the newest one on the block but we have the biggest trees,” McDougal said.

When a customer calls him the first thing Dolmage does is head out to their house to meet with them in person. He likes to size up the yard, and figure out which spots will be the best for a new tree. Then he invites customers to come out with him to the Dolmage Tree Farm and walk the rows to pick out the perfect tree for their home.

Once it’s time to move the tree, Dolmage spends several hours with each customer, teaching them how much they’ll need to water and care for their new trees. Dolmage guarantees the trees for the first year.

“Denny did a nice job educating us on how to take care of the trees, and that’s allowed us to do a better job with them, and we love them,” McDougal said.

Even when they’ve been moved off the Dolmage Tree Farm the trees are still a part of his life. Driving home, he’ll often vary his route to drive by a customer’s house, checking up on the tree.

“I just have a real passion for this,” Dolmage said. 

For more information about the Dolmage Tree Farm, check out its website at www.dolmagetreefarm.com or find them on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/DolmageTreeFarm