Amid the chaos and uncertainty in the world right now, there is one tradition that still stands tall – hunting for the perfect Christmas tree.
Many Christmas tree farms have already opened their gates to help families continue the tradition of either cutting their own or buying pre-cut trees.
“As of now, people can continue their annual Christmas tradition of coming for their Christmas tree,” says Jason Shepherd, one of the owners of the family-run Shepherd Family Tree Farm in Black Rock, N.S. “Some people really need that normalcy right now during these difficult times.”
Although it has been a very mild fall this year, David and Jenna Lee Mombourquette, owners and operators of Green Hills Farm in Albert Bridge, Cape Breton, say there has been no issue with the weather.
In fact, Colin Hughes of Hughes Christmas Trees in New Ross, N.S., says that cool and damp weather is better during the harvest season, while warm and sunny days promote the growing season. This makes Nova Scotia the perfect place to grow Christmas trees, he adds.
Even though the mild fall doesn’t affect tree growth, Mombourquette says earlier spring frost did.
“We had significant frost damage in the spring that affected our tagging planning this year,” Mombourquette said.
Starting the third weekend in October, Green Hills Farm opens for six weeks to allow visitors to go to the farm to pick their Christmas tree. They are given a map of the property, divided into zones, and each weekend, a different 10-acre zone is open. People are given a tag to place on their tree, along with a measuring stick, so they have a good idea of the size of it. This essentially reserves their tree for later, and the happy tree owner indicates on the map where the tree was located. Maps are kept on file at the farm for cutting season, explains Mombourquette.
Because of the frost in the spring, Mombourquette says they had to change some of the areas they were planning on tagging this year for both retail and wholesale.
“There was a lot of frost damage in certain lots, so we had to rotate the area to give the frost-damaged trees at least a year to rebound.”
Overall, Shepherd says, the trees this year are looking great. They have grown beautifully since last year and have been individually hand-sheared to ensure their shape is perfect.
COVID-19 impact
Luckily, says Shepherd, COVID-19 did not affect the exportation of Christmas trees this year, as many of their trees head to Boston, Massachusetts.
“We were still able to send a shipment down there and share our Christmas spirit with those who need it,” he says.
Hughes is sending Christmas spirit all around the world with his trees. An average of 135,000 trees are sent annually from the New Ross farm go to Thailand, Panama, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Philippines, Singapore, Curacao, Barbados, St. Maarten, St. Vincent and Grenadines, in the USA as far as Miami, Florida, and of course, across Canada.
As of mid-November, they had already shipped 117 loads of trees, and had 29 more to go.
“We start our season the middle of September with the Thailand loads,” he says.
This year with COVID-19, Hughes says he thought he would have troubles exporting, but so far, there thankfully hasn’t been any.
For visitors coming to the farm, Shepherd says all COVID-19 safety protocols will be in place to ensure everyone will have a fun but safe experience.
This means they have had to adapt some of their experiences, but he says it won’t stop them.
“Every year, we offer freshly-baked cookies and warm hot chocolate for our guests,” says Shepherd.
This year, instead, they will be offering prepackaged cookies and take-home hot chocolate for the guests to enjoy.
Mombourquette says they did have a lot of plans for this year that they had to put on hold simply because of the uncertainty with COVID-19. So, 2020 does look a bit different than what they had anticipated, but that seems to be the way for everyone.
COVID-19 also forced the family to make some modifications. First, they expanded their parking space and converted to a window system. This means visitors now check-in at the window to get their map and equipment, rather than coming inside the building.
They have also converted a secondary greenhouse into a walk-through space to display wreaths and retail items.
“Masks are mandatory on all of our equipment, which has not caused any issues with the public,” Mombourquette said.
They have also implemented extra cleaning procedures, and while this does slow down their turnaround time for the wagon rides, they can still take visitors to the various zones.
“The public has been very understanding while waiting for things to be properly sanitized,” said Mombourquette.
Diversification
Besides offering both a u-pick and pre-cut tree options, many Nova Scotian Christmas tree farms are also diversifying their product lines. For example, the Shepherd Family Tree Farm also has wreaths and swags available for purchase.
In addition to the Christmas Trees, Green Hill Farms sells wreaths, boughs, and other wreath products, along with a variety of crafts made by local Cape Breton artisans, including pet bandanas, different types of signage, Christmas bells, beach glass ornaments, holiday earrings, and a variety of other Christmas decor items.
“It’s a one-stop holiday shop,” Mombourquette said.
Good business year
COVID-19 created a lot of doubt for the business, and Mombourquette says they just weren’t sure what to expect this year. They were anticipating numbers to be down when they opened but have been on par with their previous years to date.
“People have actually come out earlier to tag this year than we have ever seen before,” Mombourquette said.
“It seems like everyone is pleased to be able to do an activity outside with their family and friends where they can feel safe and still have fun.”
If You Go:
- 136 New Russell Road, New Ross
- The tree farm is just past 3750 Black Rock Road, Black Rock.
- Look for a red and green “Shepherd Family Christmas Trees” sign on the right-hand side of the road.
- The tree lot will be open on Nov 28-29, Dec 5-6, Dec 12-13. All days from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
- 486 Hills Road, Albert Bridge
- Trees range from $33-$60, based on the size and variety.
- U-Pick services run through the end of November on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to dusk. From Dec. 1-20, they are open every day for pick-ups and fresh-cut trees from their lot.
For more informaiton, visit Christmas Tree Council of Nova Scotia.
