It’s a holiday tradition for many – choosing and cutting your own Christmas tree. For Diana Barrett, owner of Barrett’s Christmas Tree Farm near Cobourg, Ont., it’s a way of life.
“Our farm has been here since the late 1960s, selling Christmas trees,” she said. “My parents started selling trees and I sold and planted trees as a child and now we have our own family involved in the operation.”
She said she has noticed the demand for real trees is growing, with more people looking for that classic Christmas experience each year.
“Every spring we plant several thousand trees and most of our trees are cut-your-own, where people come in and select their own tree and take it home. It’s a family tradition and it’s nice to see families that have been here for many generations.”
Meanwhile, supply is dwindling across the country.
Shirley Brennan, executive director of the Canadian Christmas Trees Association, said the decline of the trees is due to the lack of producers available to harvest them.
“We’re seeing retirement with no succession plans,” she said. “The young people aren’t going into farming.”
Barrett added it takes about eight to 10 years for a tree to reach maturity, so it takes a while for the industry to catch up.
Still, she said they have a lot to choose, from.
Trees aren’t the only things people come to see, she added, as she introduced the farm’s other residents.
“This is Sparky, our miniature Appaloosa horse,” said Barrett, noting he loves pets and scratches.
There is also Duncan the pony, Paisley the pig, Victor the goat and Luna the donkey, all of whom visitors are able to interact with while on the farm.
“People can come out and see what life is like on the farm, spend some time here and enjoy the rural setting,” Barrett said.