Good morning everyone! Welcome to day two! :) I have an interesting post for you all today...coming by popular requests. ;) Several people (you know who you are) have asked for a post on what it's like to live on a Christmas tree farm, and since I never got around to it last month, I'm doing it as part of the linkup. :) Hope you enjoy!!
Most of you, whether you have an artificial tree (traitors... XD) or a real tree, you've probably wondered about tree farms. Or maybe you've even been to one!
But chances are you went to a Choose & Cut lot where you wandered through a field of trees, picked out the one you wanted, and someone cut it and tied it to the top of your car. Let me introduce you to another world of Christmas tree farming.
Wholesale.
My Dad and the few employees (don't I sound professional XD) cut and bale the trees, haul them out of the field, and stand them in the ditches along the roadside where they wait to be loaded onto gooseneck trailers or semis. When they get to wherever they're going (a tree lot), they'll be unloaded and retailed to individuals.
Here's some pictures of the whole...process... ;)
My shadow... XD
Sawdust around the stump of a tree :P
Then after being hauled through the field, they're stood in the ditch along the roadside in the shade until they're hauled out and sold!
After working in the field or making wreaths (basically anything that involves the trees because SAP), your arms will look like this... *points above* ...and black gunk will be crammed under your nails.
But no worries, rubbing alcohol or butter gets it off...with lots of scrubbing. XD
Sometimes problems arise. There's days where everything goes wrong...trucks get stuck in muddy fields, tires go flat, the baler messes up or the cable breaks. Workers call in sick or don't show, things happen, and everybody is running late. They begin work early and work until dark. But it's only for 6 weeks or so, so we can make it. ;)
I hope you enjoyed this little look into our lives during tree harvest!! ^_^ If you have any questions, let me know and I'll try to answer them best I can! :)
Other stops of the linkup...
Thanks for reading! *goes to read all the wonderful posts*
~Faith
Ugh, I know the sap problem! I'm an avid tree climber, but at my grandparent's house you do it at your own risk... I have some horror stories from a few backpacking trips :(
ReplyDeleteOooohh, yes. I usually climb trees that aren't "sappy" (haha, nice pun, Faith) for that reason. But Fraser fir sap? Ack. XP
DeleteThanks for commenting!
Such a fun post. We used to always get a real tree from a "cut-your-own" tree farm. I love the smell of the trees! We would get a tall and full one. They always look so much smaller in the fields. Then we bring it home and it would fill up about a third of our living room.
ReplyDeleteThis was a new look at those who provide the trees to the tree lots at, say, Lows. ;)
Glad you enjoyed! :) Haha, we've did the same thing! You'd think we would know better by now. :P Dad often has to cut it down to size, lol.
DeleteYes, exactly! Dad doesn't sell to any chain places like Lowes or Home Depot, mostly to people who have farms and sell trees around this time. :)
Thanks for commenting, Rebekah!
wow cool I bet it smells really nice over there, thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHaha, yes, it does! Especially this time of year.
DeleteThanks for commenting, Marrok!
Wow. That sounds...exciting and interesting! I didn't know you guys lived on a tree farm!! :O #imaterriblefriend
ReplyDeleteHehe, it is! Yup, most of the farm is on some property that was my great-grandpa's. :) #noyourenot Its one of Dad's three jobs, soo... :P
DeleteThanks for commenting, Rebekah!
We just recently got our tree from a lot for one of the first times. Most of the years we've cut pine trees from nearby ranches . . . but those all burnt during the fire. XD Soo, yeah. I showed this post to my whole family and we all found it fascinating. I'll try using butter next time. ;) Thanks, fellow PK!
ReplyDeleteSo exciting – first time!! :) Oh yeah...didn't think about that...terrible. :( So glad you all enjoyed. YES!! Butter works really well. I usually smear the butter on, and then wash the butter-slime off with soap and hot water. XD Work pretty well!
DeleteThanks for commenting, PK friend! ;)
Super cool! My family is *blush* in possession of a very ancient fake tree. We got it over 15 years ago as a hand-me-down from a family who also, I think, got it as a hand me down. It sheds like a real tree. :/ Maybe worse. It's literally like a Charlie Brown Christmas tree with the whole before-decorations-and-after effect haha!! But you can't buy Christmas trees here, so...yeah. Unless we order a fake one from online...I think we are going to before next Christmas. (haha sorry, I know that this whole conversation must make you cringe).
ReplyDeleteOh, wow!! Haha, definitely quite the hand-me-down... ;) A fake tree that sheds?! Sounds kind of besides-the-point, haha. :P Our church had a fake tree that spritz snow out the top (really?! :P) and wasn't that pretty. This year, Dad was like "I'll donate a tree, just leave that thing in the closet". XD Aww, Charlie Brown trees are cute! Oh yeah, I didn't think about not having access to real trees. ;) That sounds fun!! :)
Delete(Haha, no you're good. I can't say I *like* fake/artificial trees, but sometimes they're alright... :P)
Thanks for commenting, Victoria!
*gasp* You did it! Hurray! A Christmas tree post! Awesome!!!! ^_^ (*whispers* what’s with the flip-flops? ;))
ReplyDeleteI did!!! *wink* So glad you enjoyed, Blessing!! (*laughs* I know, right? Well, it was NOT cold that day...but it usually is...I was proving a point I guess. ;))
DeleteThanks for commenting, Blessing!
Fun post, Faith!
ReplyDeleteThere's a Christmas Tree Farm a couple miles from us - it's a choose and cut kind, and they have reindeer. :) We used to go almost every year. :)
Glad you enjoyed! :)
DeleteOh, super cool!! Wait, real reindeer?! O.O That's awesome!!
Thanks for commenting, Raechel!
I really enjoyed this post, Faith!! :D It was so cool to see what tree harvest time is like for you and your family. I now have a better picture of what you all do! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for sharing!!! :D
I'm so glad you enjoyed, Rebekah! :) Yes, you do!
DeleteThanks for commenting! <3