JOE'S TREES AND THE BOSTIC FAMILY

Sue Sublett Bostic was born in Craig County, Virginia. Sue Bostic is the daughter of the late Joe Miller and Erma Maness Sublett. She is the youngest child of six children. Her father started raising cattle and then he was introduced to the tree-farming business through a 4-H project where Sublett was given several hundred trees. "It started out as a hobby and then just got bigger and bigger from there," says Sue Bostic.

Sue Bostic grew up following behind her father and doing whatever he told her to do while learning each step of the planting, shearing, and mowing process. Sue often says that he taught her more than any college degree could. "Hands-on experience and seeing it done each day was embedded in my mind a lot more than if I had read it in a book," Bostic says. "He taught me a lot back then that I didn't realize he was teaching me."

After her father's unexpected death, Bostic moved to Salem in 1990 and became a Roanoke City police officer. Reflecting back, Bostic says she enjoyed her law enforcement job during that period. Three years later, Bostic's mother gave co-ownership of Joe's Trees to Bostic, who was ready to devote her time and energy to not only carrying on her father's legacy, but also to doing something she enjoyed for a living.

Sue was not to be outdone but worked diligently and slowly the farm took on a new plan. Under her management, wreaths and garland at a wholesale and retail level were added to the list of items offered from the farm. Bostic also started selling mail order wreaths. In 2006, Sue Bostic introduced mail order trees to the business as an additional outreach to promote real trees to those who could not come to the farm or was unable to make time for an outing but still wanted a real tree. She now sells trees online to states all over the country and especially to customers who do not have Fraser or Canaan fir trees grown in the state where they live.

The farm, now a 150,000-tree farm, has both a choose-and-cut operation and a wholesale business selling trees throughout Virginia. In addition to Fraser firs, Joe's Trees grows Concolor, Douglas, Canaan, and Balsam firs, white and Scotch pines, and blue spruces.
With inspiration and successful teaching from her father, both on the field and off, Bostic's success in the Christmas tree industry hasn't stopped. She has been honored to win the Virginia Christmas Tree Growers Association Grand Championship Award in 2000, 2006 and again in 2008. She has and will again have the distinction of placing a tree in the Virginia Governor's Mansion in November. In August, 2008, Bostic drove across the country and entered a Fraser fir in the National Christmas Tree Contest in Des Moines, Iowa where she placed 2nd in the Fraser fir category. Joe's Trees is also proud to announce that the 2008 National Wreath Grand Champion was awarded to Sue Huffman, wreath shop manager of Joe's Trees.

Bostic plans to continue in her father's footsteps and produce top-quality trees, where she may one day realize her dream of having a Christmas tree in the White House--standing tall and representing Virginia and her father.In 1997, Sue Sublett married James Bostic. They have two children, Jake and Jenna.

http://www.co-opliving.com/coopliving//issues/2000/index/htm
Select the Nov/Dec 2000 issue for more info on this family owned and operated business.

Agriculture involvement/service
• 1994-1997 Director of the VCTGA Board.
• 1999-1999 Vice President of the VCTGA Board
• 2002-2003 Vice President of the VCTGA Board
• Jan 1 2003-Dec 31 2004 Craig County Farm Bureau Board
• Jan 1 2004-Feb. 2005 Co-Chair of Steering Committee Capitol Holiday Tree
• 2003-2006 President of the VCTGA
• 2006 co-coordinated a marketing trip to Oregon sponsored by VDACS
• 2006- 2007 Coordinator of the first VCTGA winter meeting
Current member of:
•National Christmas Tree Association
•Virginia Christmas Tree Growers Association
• Virginia Forestry Assoc.
• American Tree Farm System
• Virginia Farm Bureau
• Virginia's Finest Program
• Mt. View Christian Church

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This site was last updated on February 16, 2011.

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