Christmas Trees: Buy Local

One of the magical moments of the year for me is to walk with my family through a field of trees in the crisp early winter air to select our Christmas Tree. When we finally pick out the tree to make ours, it gradually morphs from whatever it was before we picked it, into the most perfect tree ever to grow.

A Christmas Tree is probably one of the easiest agricultural products to buy locally. Buying a local tree has the same benefits as buying other farm products locally: you will get a fresher product, you will almost certainly meet the farmer, all of your money will stay in the local economy, and you will support the preservation of open space. There are at least three farms in Middletown and several in neighboring communities which sell trees. Each of them will be happy to provide help in cutting, wrapping, and loading the tree on your car. Many of them also sell wreaths.

The following listing includes farms which are in an on-line listing of Christmas Tree Farmers in Middlesex County. There are other farmers in the area who sell small numbers and don't advertise (the Atkins and Footit farm is one such), if you have a favorite not on the list, let us know about it in a comment.

Middletown:

• Indian Hill Brook Tree Farm, 614 Bow Lane, 860-346-4680
  
• Oak Ridge Tree Farm, 402 Coleman Road
• Atkins Street and Footit Drive

Rockfall

• Connwood Foresters, across from Wadsworth Falls, Rte 157, 860-349-9910
  

Durham

• Craftsbury Christmas Farm, Maiden Lane, 860-635-3942
  
• Dumas Tree Farm, North of Route 147, off of Main, 860-349-3636
  
• Herzig Family Tree Farm, 310 Maiden Lane, 860-349-1275
• Miller Tree Farm, Tri Mountain Road, 860-349-9511