Americans travel to family-owned Christmas tree farms to pick the perfect pine: 'People love it'

There are some 15,000 Christmas tree farms across the U.S., from which 30 million trees are purchased each Christmas, according to the National Christmas Tree Association — with many families of all sizes participating in an annual holiday event that holds special meaning for them.  

The most popular Christmas trees are in the pine, spruce and fir families, the same source noted. It takes about seven years for a tree to reach a typical height of 6 to 7 feet.

The first Christmas tree farm was planted by farmer and entrepreneur W. V. McGalliard in White Horse, New Jersey, in 1901. 

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Many Christmas tree farms are family owned, and generations of guests come back to revisit childhood memories with their own families, in addition to attracting first-time visitors.

Santa’s Christmas Tree Forest in Eustis, Florida, is proof that Christmas festivities can be celebrated even in a southern climate with the help of a snow machine for events, Jodi Utsman, the co-owner, told Fox News Digital.

Sustainable farms are environmentally conscious. Krueger’s Christmas Tree Farm in Lake Elmo, Minnesota, for example, doesn’t use pesticides and minimally uses herbicides, according to John Krueger, third generation owner. 

Several owners and families shared their seasonal and memory-filled stories. 

Santa’s Tree Farm and Village in Half Moon Bay, California, a family business, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. 

Natalie Sare told Fox News Digital that she met her husband, Dan, with whom she owns and operates the 487 acre farm, in 1987, when she started working there in college. 

Since then, she's seen generations of visitors. "People come, and they say to me, ‘I used to come here as a kid, and now I’ve got my baby here,'" she said. 

The Santa Express, a trackless train that was built by Sare’s husband and his father, takes guests on a tour of the farm while music plays. 

"People love it. It's their favorite thing," Sare said. 

Sare said the puppet shows at the Elves Work Shoppe are especially meaningful to her. Her son, Michael, writes the storylines and does voiceovers for some of the hand puppets.

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Santa Claus, described as "comfortable and laid back," has been making appearances at the farm for 16 years to pose with families for photos. 

There is also a storytime event with Mrs. Claus, plus Christmas cookies from a San Francisco bakery can be purchased at Mrs. Claus’ Kitchen, said Sare.

Sare said people line up to buy fresh mistletoe at the farm. 

"It's really cute, because you see them kissing in line with the mistletoe over their heads." 

The tree shopping season began on Nov. 23, and Sare anticipated up to 20,000 visitors all told, mostly from the San Francisco Bay Area and surrounding cities. 

The property is spacious, and cutting one's own tree is "a very personalized experience … You’re by yourself or with your own family," Sare said. 

Reservations are unnecessary (though they're often required at other tree farms) and there is no admission fee, according to Sare. 

Pre-cut trees are $39.95 – $299.00, depending on the size, and trees cut by customers are $96.

Santa’s Tree Farm and Village remains open until 5 p.m. on Christmas Eve. 

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"There are a lot of reasons people want to get a Christmas tree on a certain day and it often comes with a really special story," said Sare. "I can’t say no."

"We are totally exhausted during this time of year, but we love it so much."

Julie Izzo Niedzwick, customer and staff experience manager of Stokoe Farms in Scottsville, New York, told Fox News Digital that the farm, 212 years old, started having Christmas trees planted there 40 years ago. It's located about 20 minutes from Rochester.

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Stokoe Farms usually opens for Christmas tree shopping the weekend before Thanksgiving, which Niedzwick said is their busiest time. 

She said some 8,000 visitors arrive for tree shopping that weekend, mostly from the western and southern areas of New York.

Animal lovers can hold baby kangaroos, pet the rabbit-like Patagonian mara, and see other animals at the Roo Ranch, Niedzwick said. 

There is also a petting zoo with goats, miniature cows and sheep.

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Niedzwick said there's a nature trail with a tree house, a rope course, slides and a "Hillbilly Hen Chicken Show," where the chickens "sing" about life on the farm.

She said that guests can eat at the Old Barn Grill and enjoy dessert at The Cocoa & Cookie Corner, which offers hot chocolate and Stokoe Farms’ famous cider donuts.

Reservations for Christmas tree shopping are not necessary and admission is free. 

Pre-cut trees start at $40 and go up in price, depending on size, variety, and grade, said Niedzwick. 

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Trees that visitors cut are $67 for any size or variety of Fraser Fir, Douglas Fir and Concolor Fir trees up to 8 feet tall, according to the website. 

Megan Melville, an art teacher, told Fox News Digital that she and her husband, Scott, and their blended family of five children between the ages of 17 and 10 live across the street from Stokoe Farms. 

"I have two girls, and he has three boys, so it’s always been a joke that we were like ‘The Brady Bunch,’ but not quite," she said. 

Her husband used to work at the farm when he was young, and his father still works there, along with three of their children during tree season, Melville said.

She said it’s a special tradition for them to pick out a Christmas tree every year, on the day after Thanksgiving. 

"The trees are planted in straight lines, and all the kids run up and down … They each picked out one that the tree they liked, and then they voted for the one that everybody liked best." 

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Melville said that she and her middle school art club decorate as many as 1,000 tree tags as part of the Trees for Troops program that Stokoe Farms participates in. 

Melville described the Christmas tree shopping experience at Stokoe Farms as "just like coming home."