We get a lot of calls asking if we “still have any trees left.”
Since we’re a choose and cut farm, we always snicker a little when someone asks us that because we have eight acres of trees, which translates into thousands of trees! Some are very tall, some are very small, and some are just right.
When you visit, you can choose from anything growing on the farm. Then we’ll cut it for you, shake out any loose needles, bag it and load it on or in your car.
A view of the farm.
Wanted to share some great tips about Christmas tree care from ProFlowers. It starts with setting up your tree, the importance of watering and then, sadly, how to get rid of the tree.
When you buy a freshly cut tree you can skip the step about cutting off a few inches on the bottom. The most important thing to do is keep it watered, especially this year because it was a dry year in our region.
Here’s a link to download the tips.
Tag your tree this weekend while the weather is nice and we’ll cut it for you later! Plus all trees are only $42 this weekend, no matter what size.
In addition, $5 from the sale of every tree will be donated to Northern Exposure Siberian Husky Rescue (NESHR).
Click here for the flyer.
Tag your tree on Veterans Day weekend, while the weather is nice and we’ll cut it for you later! Plus all trees are only $42, no matter what size.
In addition, $5 from the sale of every tree will be donated to Northern Exposure Siberian Husky Rescue (NESHR).
Click here for the flyer.
When you come to the farm, the first question we’ll ask is “are you taking your tree today or are you tagging?”
If you are tagging and picking up another day, we’ll give you a three part tag along with a pen and an idea of where you might find the type and size of tree you’re looking for. You will wander around until you find the perfect tree, hang part of the tag on the tree, and mark down the row number on the other part of the tag. You’ll give that part of the tag to us along with your info and you keep the other part.
If you are taking your tree, we’ll give you a flag and off you’ll go. Once you find a tree, you’ll wave the flag and we’ll be there to cut it as quickly as we can. Once it’s cut, it’s off to Lil’l Shakee.
So what’s the deal with Lil’l Shakee – what’s the purpose? Your tree might have some loose needles or other stuff on the branches that you don’t want to bring into the house. So Lil’l Shakee gives the tree a good shake for a few seconds and the stuff drops off – yesterday we had a little birds nest shake out (don’t worry, it was empty).
Once your tree has been thoroughly shaken, it’s time for netting. The tree goes through the cylinder and is encased in a nylon mesh. This makes it easier to transport and bring into your home because the branches are confined. As soon as you cut off the mesh the branches will fall back into place.
Once the tree is netted, we’ll put the tree on or in your vehicle and you’ll be on your way.
Sometimes people ask us about grave blankets – as the custom is not practiced everywhere. Basically they are used to decorate grave sites in the winter, when flowers are not available or too fragile to withstand the bitter cold. Traditional grave blankets are used in the late fall and winter and are most popular during the Christmas season. They’re designed for decorating the grave site for a short time and are then removed after the holidays. They are to the grave what the wreath is to the door.
Here’s a few samples of the grave blankets we make here on the farm.
Came across a great video and accompanying story about the history of the Christmas tree. It was interesting to learn that the first tree at Rockefeller Center was placed in 1931. It was a small unadorned tree placed by construction workers at the center of the construction site. Two years later, another tree was placed there, this time with lights. These days, the giant Rockefeller Center tree has over 25,000 Christmas lights.
Click here for the story.
One of the first trees in Rockefeller Center.
Tag your tree on Veterans Day weekend, while the weather is nice and we’ll cut it for you later! Plus all trees are only $42, no matter what size.
In addition, $5 from the sale of every tree will be donated to the Historical Society of Hammonton, a group that works to preserve the history of our town. Click here for the flyer.
For more info about the Historical Society of Hammonton, click here.
Here are a few more bits of Christmas tree information that might come in handy during a trivia contest (or if you end up on Jeopardy):
Here’s a fun fact:
The first Christmas tree farm in the United States is believed to have begun in 1901 when 25,000 Norway Spruce trees were planted by W. V. McGalliard in Mercer County, near Trenton, New Jersey. The trees were sold seven years later for $1.00 each. Despite the early pioneers of the industry, by the late 1940s 90 percent of all natural Christmas trees sold in the United States were still harvested from forests. The most popular species during that era, Balsam Fir, Douglas-fir, Black Spruce and White Spruce, were all readily available from forests.
Following World War II more trees began to be planted in plantations. Other changes were taking place as well, in the late 1940s and early 1950s farmers began to sheer trees in respond to customer demands for denser trees. During the 1960s the market for Christmas trees in the United States began to change. The number of part-time growers declined, while some part-time growers ceased operations others expanded their operations and became full-time Christmas tree farmers. Expansion occurred in all major U.S. Christmas tree growing regions, Michigan, the Pacific Northwest and North Carolina.
Here’s a photo of White Dog Farms following a little snow storm!
