Thanks for the comment, eltea!
You are correct about the balance. I literally started balancing the game about 20 minutes before my final submission, so it was a very quick balance in the first version. My beta tester (daughter) suggested loosening up the trees a little. I just submitted an update that changes the tree farm in a big way, which should help the balance.
Try it again, your same save file should still be good to go. You should definitely not give up on your dream to have a Beefy Thumb!