<b>By DOUG GRAVES<br>
Ohio Correspondent</b> </p><p>

MORROW, Ohio — Dr. Frank Antenucci and his wife, Ann, had the dream life. He was a practicing dentist, and she was the dental hygienist.</p><p>
Perfect marriage of a couple who had dream jobs and lived in upscale Montgomery near Cincinnati. Nothing could be better for this pair.</p><p>
But 14 years before retiring from his dentistry practice in 1998 Frank purchased 200 acres of land in eastern Warren County with the intention of having a place to hunt and fish during his free time. But a meeting with local soil and water conservation experts in the county led Frank to something other than an ol’ fishing hole - planting Christmas trees.</p><p>
“We planted 1,000 seedlings that first year,” Ann said.</p><p>
That year was 1984. Five years later their land was open to the public with the first available cut-your-own Christmas trees. They named it the Big Tree Plantation.</p><p>
“We purchased the land for hunting and fishing for our large family and we had no idea of getting into this venture,” Ann added. “I thought I’d miss all the malls.”</p><p>
To this day the couple (with a lot of help from family and friends) plants 5,000 seedlings each year, rotating fields as they should.
“We have a large family and it’s fun getting them involved,” Ann said.</p><p>
On any given weekend after Thanksgiving the plot off South Waynesville Road in this county is quite busy with those wanting cut trees, ornaments from the gift shop or the traditional horse-drawn carriage ride to the fields with saws in hand. There’s even live reindeer on the premise and plenty of free hot chocolate on hand.
And business for the Antenucci’s couldn’t be better. Not bad for a couple who knew nothing about agriculture of any kind.</p><p>
“We didn’t want to farm and growing Christmas trees seemed like the fun thing to do without a lot of investment,” Frank said.</p><p>
Big Tree Plantation is located at 2544 South Waynesville Road in Morrow, off state Route 123 east of Lebanon. Phone 513-899-4624.