Lack of sight doesn't stop this tree farmer
But A & J U-Cut Farm off Loudon Road in Corbett stands out. The owner, Albert Smith, is just as much a draw as his trees.
Despite being blind, he wields a chainsaw and cuts down trees for customers all the same. He's been doing it for 33 years. Smith said he's had "eye trouble" all his life. He lost his sight completely 22 years ago but learned to see the trees in a new light. Just by smell or with his fingertips, Smith can identify the different varieties and knows right where he planted them. And he keeps the tree's traditional shape by pruning them himself. "I just take and reach in like this and then I take a knife and I just line up like this and swing down and walk around the tree this way," he said. He finds his biggest joy every December when he gets to cut the perfect tree for just the right family. "I try to keep all the customers happy," he said. All of Smith's trees are $18 no matter the size.