Tips and Suggestions for a Great Experience
We look forward to your visit! We work hard to ensure a safe, enjoyable visit for all guests.
For tree season, we will use an online reservation system in order to regulate the number of guests at the farm at any given time. On the weekends of tree seasons, all visits to the farm for harvest-your-own trees and pre-cut trees would be by reservation.
Thank you for your support of our farm. Grandpa Philip Jones started selling Christmas trees in 1947 - the tradition will continue this year!
It is an annual tradition for many families to come hike our 200 acres of Christmas Trees at our 500 acres farm in search of the perfect centerpiece to their holiday celebrations. We want you to have a great visit, so here are some tips on how to be prepared.
Hours of Operation
From the weekend before Thanksgiving through December 23: Open daily 9am to 5:30 pm. For Harvest Your Own Trees, arrive before 4 pm to harvest the tree before it gets dark. We are closed Thanksgiving Day and close early on Christmas Eve at 4 pm.
Always call the Farmer Jones Crop Report (203-929-8425) before your visit to keep up to date on farm hours, picking conditions and directions.
Before You Visit
Before you visit – measure the height of your ceiling, then bring a tape measure to the field. Trees tend to look smaller in the field than they would in your home, especially when you bring it home and put it in a good tree stand. The Harvest-Your-Own Tree Fields are well stocked with trees 8 feet. Trees larger than 8 feet in the Harvest-Your-Own Tree Fields are limited but available; you will need to walk farther and especially look at the Blue Spruce.
Harvesting a Christmas tree is hard work. Bring enough helpers to help carry or pull your tree on a tarp to a baling station. On weekends, there is tree shuttle service only from specific baling stations.
Please bring a tarp to help carry/pull the tree to a bailing station! It's a big help and also protects the needles of the tree.
On Weekends, there is a tree shuttle service from two baling stations that are a 10-15 minute from the main parking lot. On Weekdays, a tree shuttle truck does make several stops through the farm; please note, on weekdays parking is usually is in the paved lot near the barnyard and not on the hilltop.
Wear appropriate footgear. We are a real working farm - no paved roadways between the trees. You will encounter an all natural terrain. Boots with good firm treads are recommended, and if it has snowed, be prepared with snow boots.
Dress in layers. Our farm is located on a hill and weather conditions can be colder than your front porch (it’s often colder up on the hill than it is in our own parking lot). Wool and fleece clothing, especially socks, are recommended on cold days as well as snowy and wet days.
Provisions
We provide twine and tree bailing services to wrap your tree tightly for the ride home (when staff is available); however providing your own bungee cords or other tie downs would make it easier.
We provide handsaws to our guests. On really busy weekends (the first few in December) if you have a handsaw, it may be wise to bring it so you don’t have to wait for one to be returned. We cannot allow power saws of any kind (chain saws, etc) or axes into the fields.
Visitors with young children might wish to bring wagons and strollers that can handle the bumpy farm roads. Families often enjoy a nice walk to find their tree, and the tired children can enjoy a ride back to the parking area.
Parking
We provide parking areas for your vehicles – however, space is limited and therefore we do not have the ability to provide room for tailgate parties. It is expected every car in our lot will leave with at least one tree. We love to see guests standing at their tailgates, sipping some hot cocoa from a thermos, after their hikes in the fields; however tents, chairs, picnic blankets, cooking of any kind, ball playing and the like can't be allowed due to insurance liabilities including safety/fire concerns. We hope you can have that part of your adventure at a different location. Please see our complete policy on tailgating and parking lot refreshments.
Our Harvest Kitchen creates farm-made cookies from scratch and serves them along with mulled cider and cider. Please note, there is no outside food and picnicking permitted in the courtyard and pavilion adjacent to the Harvest Kitchen and Winery. Guests may stand by the bonfire, but we ask that you support the farm by only eating items purchased at the Harvest Kitchen.
Dos and Don'ts
Smoking and alcohol are not allowed on our farm.
Dogs are allowed in the fields (not in buildings or the Courtyard Market) at Christmas time. Please keep them on the leash at all times and come prepared for scooping up after your dog. They are a better fit to bring for Harvest Your Own than bringing to the Barnyard Village area due to limited areas for dogs.
Thanks for keeping our farm sustainable, safe and enjoyable this holiday season!
