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Consider Buying a Real Christmas Tree Locally Consider Buying a Real Christmas Tree, Local

Local Christmas tree farms produce better trees and sometimes, families

By Isabel Meara

Girl standing in snowy field of cut-down Christams trees.
© 2023 Isabel Meara

With Thanksgiving passed, your house may be looking for a new addition.

While a plastic tree may fit nicely on a table, they’re not actually better for the environment. To avoid contributing to the landfill, try getting the real thing.

“I can’t control him”

Randy Page has been in the tree business for 30 years.

“So be quiet”

This small sanctuary started as a way to pay bills.

“I had my two sons were two and one was just born. And I said, Well, how am I going to put these two characters in college? So I said, Well, I’ll raise Christmas trees.”

“So they ended up going to college?”

“Yes they did, and they graduated.”

In the meantime, he’s built a community of local patrons.

I choose this one because I know them. They’re like family to me. I grew up playing hockey with their kids, and I come back every year jsut for that reason.

And grown a lot of trees. At page’s farm, they sell Balsam fir, Frazier fir and Douglas fir. And there’s a clear winner.

“We got a Frazier”

And for good reason.

“It holds the needles the longest.

So this holiday season, shopping local may lead you to a higher quality tree and something bigger.

Manlius, NY (NCC News) A family trip to a local Christmas tree farm may be nostalgic for some. Selecting the preferred bushiness, height, and aesthetic is a conversation many of us remember.

But for some, this tradition has led to another community.

Local Bryan Horstmyer has been coming to Page’s Christmas Tree Farm for as long as he can remember, growing up playing hockey with the sons of the owner. Now Horstmyer has two kids of his own, who have been coming to the same Christmas tree farm for seven years now.

Owner Randy Page got into the Christmas tree farm business as a way to pay for his kid’s college tuition. Over 30 years later, he’s built an animal sanctuary and a small community.

Page’s Christmas Tree Farm is home to three sheep, a couple chickens, owls, hawks, and domesticated deer. Beyond the generations of trees they have sold, children in the area also have the opportunity to connect to a couple different species when they come to Page’s.

They grow Douglas Fir, Balsam Fir, and Frasier Fir trees, with the most popular being the Frasier Firs.

“They keep the needles the longest,” Page said.

Needle retention is a top question among buyers according to Randy, followed by fragrance and color.

Regardless of your aesthetic preferences, Randy Page is equipped to inform local buyers of the best tree for their home environment.

For loyal patron Horstmyer, this means a tree purchase even in today’s blizzard.

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