Every year, many families hike the hills of Jones Family Farms to find the focal point of many of their holiday traditions - their Christmas trees. Some like them tall, some short, some thin and some wide. Spruce, Fraser, Balsams or Douglas - there's a favorite for everyone out there.
To make your visit a little easier, here are some tips on Cutting Your Own Tree
1. Bring help! Make a fun day of it with friends and family. The more the merrier!
2. Wear sturdy footwear! Boots are great. Our fields aren't always covered in snow, but pebbles, grass and hilly terrain exist.
3. Bring a tarp. Once you find the tree your family loves, the tarp will help you carry it back to a baling station. It's also perfect for covering the trunk of your car or the roof when you tie it on to bring it home.
4. Have an idea of how tall a tree you need. Either bring a tape measure with you, or you can stand in your room and put your hand up where you need the top to be. Stand next to a tree in the field and do the same. (Trees look much shorter in the fields than they do in your home.)
5. You've found the one! Bring along a good pair of work gloves - it's time to cut down that tree! Bring your own saw, or borrow one of ours.
6. Get low. You want to cut the tree as low to the ground as possible. When you get the tree home, you'll want to cut another piece of the trunk off before putting it in the stand. That will allow the tree to drink the water right away.
7. The tree is down. Lay it down on the tarp you brought. Everyone grab a piece and away you go! Follow the paths to a baling station and you're on your way home!
