Harvest your holiday tree this season

WOOD COUNTY--Every family who celebrates Christmas is familiar with the annual tradition of untanlging lights and dusting off ornaments. The decorations that don the tree are often times put together as a holiday activity for families. However, the act of choosing and harvesting the tree that will soon wear its’ decorations can be as strong of a family tradition, too. Wood County has local tree farms with “cut your own” trees available.
The most popular variety of Christmas tree is the Balsam fir. Balsam firs, known for their beautiful fragrance and dark green needles, are among the most sought-after species as a holiday tree. Various types of pines also find their way home with customers at Wood County’s tree farms.
To cut your own tree this year, visit R & S Tree Farms in Neillsville or Vines Christmas Tree Farm LLC in Granton.
R & S Tree Farms located at N4368 County Highway G, Neillsville, WI 54456 offers a selection of Balsam and Fraser fir trees to cut and harvest yourself. Pre-cut trees are also available, as well as a variety of holiday activies to celebrate such as wagon rides, hot chocolate, and cookies. R & S Tree Farms is open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm through Christmas.
Vines Christmas Tree Farm LLC located at W3579 Ridge Road, Granton, WI 54436 offers a varity of trees available to cut yourself (as well as pre-cut available). Types of trees include Balsam, Fraser, Canaan Fir, White Pine, and painted trees in colors of blue, purple, and white (painted trees are all Fraser Firs). At Vines Christmas Trees LLC you can head into the field yourself or catch a wagon ride to find the perfect Christmas tree. Saws are available to use if you forget to bring your own. Vines Christmas Tree Farm LLC is open seven days a week from 9:00 am to dusk, however weekdays are self service only.
Cutting down trees to celebrate the holiday season has been a long tradition stretching back to Germany, but in America decorating cut trees first began in the 1820’s in Pennsylvania’s German community. In areas that were more heavily populated by German immigrants, Christmas trees were more popular and eventually spread to the surrounding communities.
According to Wisconsin Public Radio, Wisconsin is one of the top producers for Christmas trees today with nearly 24,000 acres of Christmas trees grown in the Badger State. Cutting one’s own Christmas tree used to be a more popular tradition in the 20th century, when individuals would go into forrests off the road and cut down any tree they saw. Today, while you can’t just go into any forrest and cut down a tree, there are plenty of farms like R & S Tree Farms and Vines Christmas Tree Farm LLC that have trees to cut yourself.