‘O Christmas Tree’: This Year You’ll Be Real!

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People turned out in record numbers Thanksgiving weekend at the Fir Farm to get a live Christmas tree, a change from previous years when the trend was toward artificial trees. Courtesy Bob Clark

By Elizabeth Wulfhorst

COLTS NECK – During the pandemic people have gone back to basics. They returned to the kitchen in droves, baking banana bread, harvesting yeast into sourdough and generally appreciating the joy of the homemade. They started vegetable gardens, began feeding the birds, embracing nature. That feeling seems to be carrying over to the holiday season as well; the quick and easy “artificial” way is out. Real is in.

No one experienced that more enthusiastically than Bob Clark, owner of The Fir Farm in Colts Neck, who saw his Christmas tree farm packed with those looking for the perfect Tannenbaum early this season.

“I think people were dying to get out and celebrate Christmas and get the decorations up and get their tree,” he said. “I think they were looking forward to doing something with the whole family together.”

According to the Associated Press, “both wholesale tree farmers and small cut-your-own lots are reporting strong demand, with many opening well before Thanksgiving. Businesses say they are seeing more people and earlier than ever.” Clark agrees, seeing a “big wave” of customers the Friday, Saturday and Sunday after Thanksgiving.

“This past weekend so many people came out. Much more than usual for the weekend after Thanksgiving. People were jumping the gun even a couple days before Thanksgiving,” he said.

Clark couldn’t pinpoint one reason why live trees are trending this year, but rather thought it was for “lots of reasons.” In general, families seem to be eschewing anything artificial this year. Clark said many customers have told him they got rid of their artificial tree to return to the real thing. 

“It’s good for everyone. You know, the real Christmas trees are so much better for the environment. And they smell just amazing. There’s no comparison,” he said.

Shopping for a tree this year may also be something the family can do together to celebrate the season that doesn’t involve as much risk as say, going to an indoor store or eating in a restaurant. With COVID-19 cases on the rise, social distancing outdoors lowers the chances of contracting the virus.

Clark said the customers he’s seen so far have adhered to CDC safety protocols. “Everybody knows the game. Everybody knows the drill. It’s pounded into them everywhere they go for months,” he said. “Everybody knows what to do.” At the farm, it’s “easier to social distance.”

“And of course, being outside is much better than being inside,” he added.

Another reason live tree are making a comeback may be that, as the pandemic continues to grip the nation, many are still working from home. This gives them more time to care for a live tree. Unlike artificial trees, cut trees do require a little maintenance to keep them fresh all season.

Last year The Fir Farm donated 183 trees to the Trees for Troops program which delivers donated live Christmas trees to military personnel on bases across the country. Courtesy Bob Clark

“I believe the most important thing is making sure that the tree stand is filled with water and never goes dry, never gets close to going dry,” Clark explained. “That’s my No. 1 thing for all these years. And then my No. 2 recommendation, which is very important, is don’t put it next to a heat source” which could dry the tree out quickly leading to a potentially hazardous situation.

The farm sells cut-your-own trees and supplements with precut trees it imports from other farms. “It takes a long time for Christmas trees to grow in the ground,” Clark said, noting that the farm is still recovering from Super Storm Sandy and other more recent storms. But he is proud of the fact that the farm doesn’t resort to chemical methods to speed growing.

“We don’t use any chemicals on the farm, no Roundup or any insecticides,” he said, which makes growing the perfect tree more difficult. It takes seven to 10 years for a sapling to reach the stage where it can be cut as a Christmas tree, but Clark, who has owned the farm for 17 years, finds those numbers misleading. “My experience it’s like 10-plus years for sure,” he said.

“We’ll have a great tree and then, you know, we get that bug that gets into the top and the whole leader falls off” which either damages the tree permanently or means it needs a few more years to recover.

The farm also has bees and grows hops for local breweries. “We’ve got, like, 14 different breweries in the whole state of New Jersey that have used our hops or honey at one point – not for yearly production beers but for one-offs or seasonal events,” Clark explained. And those producers appreciate the care he takes with his product.

“We don’t believe in pesticides. We’re always pulling weeds or battling the weeds,” Clark said. The farm even uses old pizza boxes underneath the compost around the trees to help with weed suppression.

Clark also feels strongly about giving back to the community. For seven years the farm has participated in the Trees for Troops program which sends live Christmas trees to military bases around the country for distribution to military families. Those visiting the farm through this weekend can donate a tree to the program for $30 and fill out a tag with a special message for the family that ultimately receives the tree. This year Clark also set up an online donation form to help those who might not feel comfortable coming out to the farm, even with COVID protocols in place. Clark is hoping to break last year’s record of 183 trees donated.

“I can’t tell you how many people will come down the driveway and they’re not even shopping for themselves,” Clark said. “They have a relative in the military or they were in the military, and they want to donate a tree – even people that don’t celebrate Christmas. There’s always one or two Jewish families that come down, they want to do it, they believe in it. And it’s nice to see how the holiday can bring everyone together.” 

The article originally appeared in the December 3 – 9, 2020 print edition of The Two River Times.