I have always wanted to go to a Christmas Tree Farm and cut down our own tree. When our girls were little, we had a few spruce trees in our backyard. One year I decided that Raul (the hubby) would cut one down for us and we would decorate it. I love the idea of real trees as opposed to fake ones.
That year was our first year of a real Christmas tree and we have had a real tree in some form or another since then. But we have always had a few fake ones to decorate as well. We always either bought our tree from either Food Lion (don’t judge) or a local produce stand. Last year, we ventured to the mountains I almost came home with a little live one that we could plant after Christmas was over. But since we were in my car the malibu hubby didn’t think it would fit so no live Christmas tree for me.
This year, since I started The Writer and The Farmer, I have started noticing signs for farms on our travels. In fact, during my travel to Hubbs Farm with Tabletop Media Group and Cape Fear Farm Credit, I spotted a sign for a Sanderson Christmas Trees & Wreaths, a Christmas Tree farm that I knew I had to visit this year. I looked it up online and saw where they only did wreaths, even though I could have sworn that the sign said Christmas Trees.
(Here is a side note- it is awesome to check websites of farmers but make sure to check their social media as well. In fact, if I would have checked we would have gotten the tree sooner. But it was seeing a story from another Farmer (Odom Farming Co) on Instagram that I realized that the place I saw did have Christmas Trees for sale.)
So, two days after Thanksgiving, Raul, Gracie, and I hopped into the truck (a story about the truck that coming soon) to venture to the tree farm, which is about a 30-minute drive from our house for a Christmas tree. (I have another story to share with you about our journey to the perfect Christmas Tree)
So, we got there and started looking around the lot. There wasn’t anyone around and I started asking myself are they even open? I will admit that a little anxiety got me. I mentioned to Raul that I would love to have one of the smaller trees for my office because the Blog Cabin can only take so much especially now that I have rearranged it yet again. So, after a lot of walking around, we went inside the building to ask about how to get the tree. You never know with tree farms; some allow you to cut it down yourself and others want to do it for you.
When we walked inside the building, we were greeted and had a few minutes as someone else was checking out. But then it was our turn, imagine my disappointment we found out the perfect tree we picked out wasn’t even for sale. Now the blogger in me was upset because it would be perfect for photoshoots and such. And the little tree that I wanted for the blog cabin wasn’t going to happen either. I had already decided how I was going to decorate it this year as well. So, the blogger was totally disappointed at first.
Remember when I mentioned when we went apple picking how sometimes farmers must way the cost against what is photogenic. If not, you can hop on over and read the post. So my disappointment was easily swayed as they explained that some of the trees aren’t through growing yet and that want to be able to sustain the Christmas Tree Farm for years to come so they must pick and choose which trees to tag as those up for sale this year. So, no little tree for the blog cabin (don’t worry I did get one and there will be a story about that as well) and the perfect tree that I had picked out wasn’t up for sale either.
So back out the lot we went in search for a second-best tree. Or so I thought. I knew I wanted to stay on the lower side of the price range, so I searched and searched for ones with the lower tags. We saw several we liked and then we finally decided on one. It was one we would have overlooked if we had not had to go back out and select a new one.
It is a glorious Murray Cypress Tree. In the lot, it was surrounded by other trees that were bigger and fuller and I figured I just settled for a tree. So, we went and told the man (who I wish I could have gotten his name) who cut down the tree, the one we wanted, and he was so nice. He noticed I was going to film so he moved out and told us which way the tree would fall so I could get it on camera. He even talked to hubby as they were loading the tree in the truck as I went inside to pay for the tree. He was the owner’s brother and only helps there during the busy season. But he totally made our first trip to Sanderson Christmas Tree Farm a huge success. And now that I know they sell trees we will be going back there again next year.
So back the tree, I thought I had settled for the tree. But in fact, it was the perfect tree for us. When we got it home and hubby put it in the tree stand, I was shocked to see how big and full the tree was. It just goes to show you that sometimes you need to put things into perspective. Just like what I am trying to do with this blog- putting things in perspective so that you learn the farmer’s story firsthand or by my own experience.
So, signing off for tonight but look for a story about the truck and the blog cabin Christmas tree coming soon.
[…] give you a free digital farmhouse Christmas Planner. And since I wrote about my experience at the Christmas Tree Farm yesterday and tomorrow is our journey to our new truck, I thought why not share this holiday gift […]