The holiday season is in full swing and for many people there’s one tradition that’s always a “tree-mendous” joy: picking out the perfect Christmas tree!
Raulston Acres Christmas Tree Farm is primarily a “choose and cut” farm that grows Murray Cypress and other tree varieties typically found in the southeast. They also offer some Fir varieties from North Carolina and Oregon.
“Fraser Firs are back! We didn’t have those last year,” Raulston said. “We also have some random contests that we’ll do during the course of the day (like) Christmas trivia, where you might be out cutting a tree, and we may come up and ask you a Christmas question! If you answer it correctly, you may get some discounts in our gift shop or concession stand!”
Raulston explained how much preparation goes into this season.
“A lot of farmers will start planting in January, February, March,” Raulston explained. “We plant at least four years, sometimes five years, ahead of time.”
Taking care of the trees is a year-round operation.
“When you have about 4,000 or 5,000 trees, it takes all year to get prepared for about a six-week season,” Raulston said.
Raulston added that it’s amazing to see both new tree hunters and returning customers who have made this a family tradition year after year.
“You can buy a Christmas tree at a lot of different places, but you can’t buy a memory,” Raulston said. “That’s what we want to create here, some Christmas memories that families can cherish for years to come.”