Dec 8, 2023 By Katherine Mansfield 7 min read

There’s something about the aroma of fresh pine wrapped in colorful lights that a scented candle can’t quite replicate.

“The real tree gives a completely different type of joy at the holiday time,” said Beth Bossio, sales and marketing manager and utility player at her family’s Quarter Pine Tree Farm in Smithfield. “When (people) think of their childhood, a Christmas tree … is something they always remember.”

For years, artificial Christmas trees were in vogue, but recently, live Christmas trees started trending, driven in part, Bossio believes, due to a shift in mentality. The Real Christmas Tree Board (yes, it’s an organization) has been busy educating the public about live Christmas tree benefits: during their seven- to- eight-year growing cycle, Fraser firs, pines and other tree types produce oxygen, provide habitats for wildlife and preserve green spaces across North America.

Plus, live Christmas trees are recyclable and, unlike their plastic or aluminum counterparts, 100% biodegradable.

“It’s not hurting the earth by purchasing a real tree. For many years, people were like, oh, my gosh, I don’t want to cut down a tree,” Bossio said. “Cutting down a Christmas tree is not bad for earth. I think people are realizing the authenticity and realness of a Christmas tree farm Christmas tree. You can’t get that from a box.”

Indeed, it’s the experience of roaming through the fields, hands gently caressing soft needles, and excitedly declaring “this tree” to be the one, the sawing and the fastening of the tree to the car roof, and the memory-making opportunities that keep families returning to Quarter Pine in Fayette County and Lone Oak Tree Farm in Monongahela year after year.

“It’s cheap entertainment, for one,” laughed Bern Bucchianeri, who owns Lone Oak with his wife, Ruth. “We have 76 acres. They’re free to roam around. We allow them to bring their dogs with them, as long as they’re under control. It’s a good outing with the kids.”

On weekends, Lone Oak Farm fundraises for the Wounded Warrior Project, and welcomes Santa Claus himself to the property. Families – even those who aren’t planning to leave with a tree – are encouraged to drop by for photos with Jolly Old St. Nick (and candy canes and cocoa, too).

“We sell trees, not photographs,” Bucchianeri chuckled.

But photos are part of the live Christmas tree tradition. As families explore the farm in search of the perfect tree, employees act as elves, offering to snap photos with both parents and kids in frame. This year, Bucchianeri said, he and Ruth have welcomed more young families than in years past.

“We’ve seen – it’s been wonderful – a tremendous influx of young people. What we’re seeing, it’s really been obvious this year, is a lot of young couples with kids. Babies that are only a couple of months old. The average age of our customers is really going down. They speak fondly of going back to tradition,” he said.

Bossio, too, noticed an uptick in young families at Quarter Pine Farm this holiday season.

“I’m seeing a lot of young people coming out and wanting this experience,” she said. “I think we’re all realizing what’s truly important: it’s those cherished memories that you’re creating for your family. Going to get a tree at a farm is giving them an experience that they are cherishing and can be passed down.”

She’s seen firsthand the passing of the torch at Quarter Pine, where guests are welcome to choose and cut, select pre-cut trees, and pose for family photos at a variety of elegant backdrops set up around the property.

“We also have third-generations coming to our farm,” Bossio said. “They came here with their parents, and now they have their child. They’re still coming back and getting to experience this through the eyes of their child.”

Joe’s Farm Market in Richeyville, too, welcomes familiar faces year after year, to select live Christmas trees from the lot outside the shop and to shop for the holidays.

“This is our 12th Christmas. We have customers, they have been coming back for all 12 years. We’ve watched their kids grow up,” said Amy Snodgrass, who owns the market with her husband, Joe. ” We’re finding a lot of them like to go back to that tradition of going to get a tree with their kids and putting it up. It’s not just that artificial, Mom stuck it up during the day while you were at school. A lot of them remember going to get a tree with their family when they were young. They want their kids to have that same experience. It’s becoming more of a family-oriented thing.”

Decorating the tree is as core a memory as choosing one, it seems, so along with trees, wreaths and grave wreaths made lovingly by Snodgrass, Joe’s Market also sells holiday goodies and decor.

“We sell a lot of ornaments this time of year. Yesterday, I had kids, they had dogs – we have a whole pet section. They ran over. They all got a dog ornament to put on the tree,” Snodgrass said.

At all three local farms, Christmas tree sales start Thanksgiving weekend (the Black Friday bustle isn’t limited to commercial retailers), and all had a wide selection of trees available for purchase.

“We get our trees from Bruceton Mills, W.Va. We didn’t have any trouble getting trees, for the first time in a couple years,” said Snodgrass. “A couple of years ago, we really had an issue. We were able to get all the trees that we needed this year.”

Quarter Pine and Lone Oak were able to grow enough Christmas trees to meet demand. While Joe’s Market and Quarter Pine decided to keep prices the same as last year by cutting costs elsewhere, Lone Oak did increase tree prices slightly.

The average price of a tree at Lone Oak is $100.

“Depending on the species they’re up 5, 10%,” Bucchaneri said. “Everything is up, of course. The fuel that we use, the chemicals that we use, the transplants that we use. Labor costs are up. Everywhere you turn. It’s that sort of thing.”

Cost didn’t deter families from flocking to the farms to engage in the magic of selecting their home’s holiday centerpiece.

Quarter Pine closed its choose-and-cut fields at the end of the day Dec. 2. Bucchaneri said his choose-and-cut fields will most likely close this weekend.

Both farms and Joe’s Market will sell pre-cut trees until the last little Christmas tree finds a home.

“Most of the tree sales are done by the 10th, 11th or so of December,” Snodgrass said earlier this week. “We start to get low about, I’d say around the 15th, 16th. After this coming weekend, we won’t have much left.”

Not only do those fortunate enough to fill their homes with the sweet scent of Fraser fir or pine create lasting memories with loved ones, they also support the local economy and fill the hearts of live Christmas tree farmers and retailers with holiday joy.

“I see so many people throughout the year that will say to me, ‘Your opening day is my favorite day of the year,'” Bossio said. “I’m proud of that.”