May all your Christmases be white – and GREEN!

We know it’s common to dream of a white Christmas, but our New Hampshire-Vermont Christmas tree growers offer the following eco tips to help you also make your holidays GREEN:

   * If you’re reading this, you’ve probably already taken the first step toward an environmentally friendly holiday by selecting a real, farm fresh Christmas tree. If you’d like to read about the benefits of a real tree (and the dangerous pitfalls of artificial trees), we encourage you to check out this link from the National Christmas Tree Association. 

   * Using homemade ornaments is another fun and festive green holiday tradition. Cut paper snowflakes from colorful recycled paper, use craft paint and festive ribbon to decorate pinecones, string popcorn and cranberries and dried apples into garlands, tie sweet-smelling sticks of cinnamon with holiday ribbon to make pretty ornaments, save old Christmas cards to cut into shapes for tree ornaments or gift tags…. The possibilities are endless!

   * If it’s time to replace your Christmas tree lights, look for LED strands. They use up to 90 percent less energy and last up to a decade!

   * After the holidays, check with your local transfer station or a New Hampshire or Vermont Christmas tree farm to find out if there are Christmas tree recycling programs in your area. Recycled Christmas trees are put to use in a variety of ways, from helping to rebuild coastline and restoring sand dunes to improving fishing areas in New England and providing wildlife habitat. Visit the National Christmas Tree Association website to learn more about how recycled Christmas trees help the environment.

   * Trees may also be composted or chipped for mulch. Evergreen trees should NOT be burned in the woodstove or fireplace, as they may contribute to creosote buildup and increase the risk of a chimney fire.

May your days be merry and bright, and may all your Christmases be white… and green!

Decking the Halls in Style!

It’s not ALL about Christmas trees for New Hampshire-Vermont Christmas tree growers. Beyond the farm fresh trees they tend to beautiful perfection, our tree farms also offer fresh, fragrant, handmade wreaths, along with kissing balls, garland, one-of-a-kind gifts from local artisans, and whimsical holiday ornaments.

That’s right… you can find everything you need to make the holidays merry and bright at a New Hampshire or Vermont Christmas tree farm!

Wreaths are typically made on site, using greens leftover from the process of growing and harvesting Christmas trees. Our tree farms sell wreaths ranging in decoration from a simple bow to adornments of pine cones, berries, and other natural and festive frills.

So, whether you’re shopping for your tree at a farm in New Hampshire or Vermont this season, or on one of our farms’ online shops, we invite you to think beyond the tree – and discover what else your favorite tree farm has to offer.

Happy Decorating!

Tips for choosing the perfect Christmas Tree

The centerpiece of holiday decorations is, of course, the Christmas tree. To ensure that you find that perfect farm fresh tree this season, our New Hampshire-Vermont Christmas tree growers offer these tips:

*  Determine how tall and how wide you want your Christmas tree to be before you visit your favorite New Hampshire-Vermont Christmas tree farm. It’s often hard to picture the room you’ll place your Christmas tree when you’re in a field surrounded by beautiful firs.

*  Once you’re at the farm – either in the field or at the retail lot – make sure you measure your selected tree to ensure it is the size you want. (This may sound simple, but many a tree trimmer has had to lop off a chunk of tree top to make a Christmas tree fit in the living room!)

*  New Hampshire-Vermont Christmas tree farmers grow a variety of tree types, from the most common Balsam and Fraser firs to the more unusual Korean and Canaan firs and other species. Different types of trees have different qualities, so check with the staff at the Christmas tree farm, or visit the National Christmas Tree Association website http://www.christmastree.org/types.cfm before you go, to find out which tree type is best for you.

*  To check the freshness of a tree from a retail lot, run a branch through your enclosed hand – the needles should not come off easily. Bend the outer branches – they should be pliable. If they are brittle and snap easily, the tree is too dry.

*  Involve the whole family in selecting your tree. Many of our farms offer festive activities, so choosing a Christmas tree can become a fun-filled family activity!

For more tips on selecting the Christmas tree that will be right for you, check out these guidelines from the National Christmas Tree Association.

Happy Holidays!

Trees for Troops – Delivering holiday cheer, one Christmas tree at a time

Christmas 2011 marks the seventh year the Christmas SPIRIT Foundation has delivered farm fresh Christmas trees at home and abroad to active duty U.S. military personnel and their families through the Trees for Troops program.

Christmas tree growers throughout the country, including those in New Hampshire and Vermont, donate trees and garner customer support for Trees for Troops, allowing the program to deliver some 17,000 Christmas trees each year. New Hampshire and Vermont Christmas tree growers donate 425 Christmas trees to the program each year.

For Christmas tree farms and their customers, it’s a way to spread a little holiday cheer – one Christmas tree at a time – and to thank the men and women in our country’s armed services, who often spend the holidays away from home and family.

Last year, Trees for Troops delivered 17,224 trees to 59 military bases, including seven bases overseas… In 2011, Trees for Troops expects to deliver its 100,000^th tree!

You can help by visiting a participating farm – many of them have special events or sales dedicated to Trees for Troops.

Merry Christmas to all, whether you’re home for the holidays or far away.