OUR STORY
THE LAZY ACRES FAMILY
Lazy Acres Christmas tree farm was founded in 1980 by Raburn and Shirley May.
Michael and Cathy May purchased Lazy Acres from his parents in January 2001. Today, the farm has grown into a multi seasonal business offering a Bunny Patch at Easter, Pumpkin Patch in the fall, Christmas trees and an amazing Christmas light show.
The May's have one daughter, Mikayla, and an extended family of friends and employees who help make the farm a special place to enjoy.
Each year we add to our family by hiring the best and brightest "farm hands". If you would like to become a part of our extended "farmily", watch our Facebook page for hiring announcements in August.
Our Mission
Our mission is to glorify God and strive to be good stewards of the gifts He entrusted to us so that all who visit Lazy Acres enjoy making wonderful memories experiencing His creation and a little bit of ours.
History of Lazy Acres
Raburn and Shirley May purchased a 120 acre farm near Chunky, MS in 1974. The couple, along with their two children, Michael and Pam, set about clearing the land and building fences to raise cattle.
The idea for starting a Christmas tree farm was given to them by Raburn's sister, Hazel Grafton, during a family visit to her Christmas tree farm in Nacogdoches, TX. Raburn, who worked for the MS Air National Guard, and Shirley, a registered nurse, realized they would soon have two children in college and that an extra income would be needed. Shirley particularly liked the idea of growing Christmas trees because as she put it, “Christmas trees don’t tear through fences like cows do.”
The first trees (Virginia pine) were planted in January, 1980. In 1981, Lazy Acres sold its first tree, a small table top Virginia pine. Larger trees were brought in from Texas to encourage customers to visit the farm.
Two large "sleighs" were added in 1983 to assist customers in getting their tree in from the field. A flock machine was purchased and put into service in 1985.
On July 19, 1988, Raburn and Shirley ventured to Nome, Alaska, and purchased three reindeer for the farm. On July 26, 1988, Dasher, Dancer, and Rudolph landed on Mississippi soil.
During the Christmas season of 1991, Leyland cypress trees were sold for the first time at Lazy Acres. Today they are the mainstay of the operation.
Following twenty years in the Christmas tree business, Raburn and Shirley retired in December 2000. Michael and Cathy May purchased the farm from his parents in January 2001.
A Pumpkin Patch and corn maze was added to the farm in the fall of 2002. Each year thousands of children tour Lazy Acres and learn about pumpkins and Christmas trees. An annual Easter egg hunt was added in 2013 and Lazy Acres in LIGHTS was added in 2014. In 2017, Lazy Acres expanded to approximately 200 acres with the purchase of an adjoining property and all agritainment operations were incorporated into Lazy Acres Agritainment, LLC., in 2018.
In May of 2018, Michael and Cathy's daughter, Mikayla Carey, returned to the farm to work full time. Mikayla is a certified teacher and will bring new ideas and insights into our educational field trips. Future plans for Lazy Acres include developing additional attractions (mini golf, sweet shoppe/bakery, gem mining, and zip lines), a restaurant, and opening at least one weekend per month for birthday parties and special events throughout the summer (April to October).