The fresh smell of pine and happy voices floating in the crisp air set the scene at the Old Farm Christmas Place of Maine in Cape Elizabeth, where customers were out last weekend walking the property to find their perfect tree to help celebrate the holiday season.
Since many families get up the Friday after Thanksgiving ready to decorate, Christmas tree farms in Cape and Scarborough are open to lend customers a hand to choose and cut the right tree.
Jay Cox bought the Old Farm Christmas Place of Maine, located on Sawyer Road, in 2001, and planted his first trees in the spring of 2004. The Cox family is now in its sixth year of operation at the historic farm, where the farmhouse is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Several people at the farm last Saturday said what they like is the sustainability factor, as well as supporting a local business. Stacy Cambridge of Windham was at the farm for the first time and said all the trees she’d seen were “kind of perfect.”
However, there was one tree, the first one she saw, actually, that caught her eye.
“I keep going back to it,” Cambridge said.
She wanted to pick out her tree while the weather was still “a little warmer,” but she likely won’t come back to get it until the second week of December.
Pam and Bob Mezzanotte of South Portland had been to the Christmas tree farm before, but decided to buy their tree there this year because their son is working for Cox this season. Bob Mezzanotte said he was looking for a tree that was the right height for their low ceilings.
Like Cambridge, they were there to pick out a tree that they’ll come back to get two weeks before Christmas. What the Mezzanottes like about the Old Farm Christmas Place of Maine is “the whole atmosphere.”
The Pidhajecky family of Cape Elizabeth, which includes four young children, comes to the farm every year, according to mom Brooke Pidhajecky.
“We come because it’s a nice, beautiful farm and we also like the hot cocoa with marshmallows,” she said.
When asked if they were looking for a particular type of tree, Oscar, 8, said, “Big!”
The family said they would likely come back to the farm sometime the weekend after Thanksgiving to get their tree.
The trees range in price from $57 for a 7-foot tree, to $37 for those under 7-feet, to $20 for a tabletop-sized tree, tax included. All the trees are balsam fir.
Cox said what he most enjoys about operating the Christmas tree farm is being outdoors and helping the families that come each year to select a tree.
He usually opens in mid-November for pre-selection and, Cox said, “people come starting right then, but by Thanksgiving most people are cutting trees rather than pre-selecting.”
Cox said the unusually warm fall in southern Maine has not had an impact on the number of people coming to the farm to choose and cut their trees. To the contrary, he said, most people actually prefer to be out selecting their tree in nice weather.
“When it’s very cold or wet or snowy, it is hard for customers to be outside,” he added. “That being said, some customers prefer the harsher weather and we’ve had busy days even in the rain.”
Every year before the farm opens to the public, Cox tags trees available for purchase.
“I base this on where the trees are, (in terms of) size, etc., and also considerations for the future. For example, I don’t allow cutting of small trees in fields that are dedicated to a future year’s harvest,” he said.
Those pre-selecting a tree then tear off the bottom half of the tag and pay for the tree in the little log cabin at the top of the hill, where the cocoa and an outdoor fireplace are located to help people warm up before trekking back to the parking lot.
The tag number is then entered into a tracking system on a computer and when the customer is ready to put up the tree, they come back to cut it down.
Those wishing to choose and cut the same day follow the same system. Farm staff usually helps customers to cut down their chosen tree and then every tree is shaken, wrapped and readied for transport.
In addition to choose-and-cut, Cox also offers pre-cut trees, which also come from the farm.
“I (usually) cut a good selection on a daily basis and keep them down by the store and parking lot” area, he said.
He said going to a choose-and-cut farm provides an “economical family outing, which (has) become a tradition for (many) of my customers. A fresh tree has a great fragrance, is sustainable, has a lower environmental impact than a plastic tree and supports local agriculture, jobs and businesses.”
In addition to trees, the Old Farm Christmas Place of Maine also provides handmade wreaths, garlands, sprays and baskets.
Overall, Cox said, “We provide the freshest possible trees. We put great effort and care into our product and I think we (also) have a clean and organized family-run operation.”
According to the Maine Christmas Tree Association website, tree farms are beneficial because “they add oxygen to the atmosphere, provide wildlife habitat and increase soil stability.”
The Old Farm Christmas Place of Maine in Cape Elizabeth is a popular place for locals to choose and cut their Christmas tree each year.
Jay Cox, who owns and operates the Old Farm Christmas Place of Maine in Cape Elizabeth, planted his first trees in 2004. The young trees behind him still have three to four years of growing time before being offered for sale.
The Pidhajecky family of Cape Elizabeth was at the Old Farm Christmas Place of Maine on Saturday to pick out their tree. In the back, from left, are Brooke, June, 1, and Chris. In the front, from left, are Sophie, 6, Hugo, 4, and Oscar, 8.
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