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You support farmers, and environment, by buying locally grown Christmas tree

Decorating a real Christmas tree a ‘beautiful tradition,’ says owner of Frasers Christmas Trees in Bond Head

With Christmas just around the corner, the Ontario government is urging people to support tree farms by purchasing locally grown trees this holiday.

That is a breath of fresh (fir-scented) air for Rosemary Fraser.

“It is surprising they’re doing this,” said the owner of Frasers Christmas Trees in Bond Head.

But she welcomes more people to partake in the “beautiful tradition” of buying a Christmas tree.

“The fragrance in your house at Christmastime is just lovely,” she said. “We have customers who have come here years and years … and (now) their children come here.”

There has been an increase in the last several years of more people buying plastic Christmas trees, she said.

“Real trees are much better on the environment and they’re grown as a crop,” she said. “The whole kind of green movement should be promoting the selling of real trees versus plastic trees.”

To celebrate Christmas Tree Day earlier this month, the provincial government issued a news release encouraging people to shop for locally grown Christmas trees, noting they put $11.3 million into Ontario’s economy every year.

"This holiday season I encourage everyone to shop for a locally grown Christmas tree and support our local farmers," said Ernie Hardeman, minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. "Ontario's home-grown Christmas tree farms make the season even merrier, and choosing a locally grown tree is a great way to support Ontario farmers who work so hard to bring the very freshest fir, pine and spruce Christmas trees to your family each year."

John Yakabuski, minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, also called small businesses “the backbone of Ontario's economy and essential to local communities.”

All the trees — balsam, concolor and fraser fir, scotch pine, spruce, and more — that are sold at Frasers Christmas Trees are grown in the Alliston and Mulmur area, said Fraser.

“By far and away the most popular tree is the fraser fir,” she said, adding the needles on fir trees stay on longer than ones on pines or spruces, even after the tree starts drying out.

It takes 10 to 12 years for a single tree to grow large enough for sale, which means the trees have at least a decade of helping cleanse the environment as they grow — another reason why real Christmas trees are environmentally friendly, Fraser said.

As well, for each tree cut down to be sold at Frasers Christmas Trees — about 1,000 every year, she said — the business also has a tree planted in Malawi, Africa.

Rick Hansen, a self-proclaimed “tree guy” who helps customers pick out their trees at Frasers Christmas Trees, also has the job of slicing a fresh cut off the trunk and drilling a hole to help them pick up water, as well as shaking the tree on a battery-powered machine to knock off any loose branches.

It makes the tree dance or it checks for squirrels, he said, with a laugh.

At Frasers Christmas Trees, kids can also get a free, small Charlie Brown Christmas tree and have their photos taken in a sleigh.

“It becomes an experience you may not get anywhere else,” he said. “With a real tree, you get the smell of Christmas in your home. Decorating it with your family is half the fun.”

Tips for taking care of a Christmas tree:

  • Make sure a fresh one- to 2 ½-centimetre cut is taken off the bottom.
  • Put the tree in water as soon as possible after the cut is made.
  • Check water daily. Trees should need three to four cups of water a day, especially in the beginning.
  • Add a little Sprite or 7UP to the water to help it last longer.
  • If you buy your tree several days before you plan to set it up, store the tree outdoors until you are ready to decorate. An area that provides protection from the wind and sun will help the tree retain its moisture.
  • Place your tree away from fireplaces, radiators, TV sets and other sources of heat. Turn off the tree lights when you leave and before you retire at night.
  • Check all electric lights and connections and avoid combustible decorations. Do not use lights with worn or frayed cords and never use lighted candles on a Christmas tree.

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Jenni Dunning

About the Author: Jenni Dunning

Jenni Dunning is a community editor and reporter who covers news in the Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury.
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