Don't Let the Grinch Steal Your Christmas Tree this Year

I must admit I had to laugh when I read the following guidelines on how to choose an artificial Christmas tree (in this post AKA "The Grinch"). I hope this post generates comments, because I am very interested in what my readers have to say.

Guidelines on how to choose an artificial Christmas tree, the Grinch:

1. Think of the Grinch as an investment. Because you may be keeping the tree for 20 years or more, you may consider purchasing a high-quality artificial tree that has foliage resembling a real Christmas tree. This is often determined by the quantity of the branch tips and design of the foliage. In most cases, having more branch "tips" is preferred because an abundance of needles creates a full look for the tree.

- Ok. let me get this straight. First, this guideline is referring to a financial investment. Are all financial investments good? Hmmm... not necessarily. Actually our economy is the way it is due to a lot of bad investments. Why is the Grinch a good investment? They really don't say. Second, it states you may be keeping this year for 20 years or more. Research shows after 9 years these trees reach dangerous lead levels. Finally this guideline suggests picking a high quality tree that has foliage resembling a real Christmas tree. Is it just me? Why not just buy a real tree instead of trying to find a fake one that only resembles a real tree?

2. Ensure the Christmas tree has the specific desired look. Look to see if you can see the center pole of the tree-if so, it may not be a high-quality tree.

- I'm not sure what to say here. Obviously this isn't something you have to worry about when picking a real tree.

3. Choose a tree with a strong stand to ensure that your Christmas tree will not topple or lean to one side, even if heavy ornaments are added to the tree. Some tree stands come with rubber feet to protect your carpet or your wooden floors.

- Nature provides a sturdy trunk and branches. You really don't have to worry about heavy ornaments.

So there you have it. Please don't let an artificial Christmas tree steal your Real Christmas Tree this year.

I would like to propose you buy a real tree this year. You can buy it from a local farm or Christmas tree lot. For those who have very little time to go and choose a tree, feel free to consider visiting this web-site A Tree For Christmas. We are one of the nations largest Christmas Tree Farms and have decades of experience helping families, like yours, create those special Christmas memories that live on through time and forever.

Use the promotional code: "HASSLEFREE", and we will give you 10% off your complete order.

Dutchman Christmas Tree Farm Family

When we say, “We ship the Christmas Tree directly from the farm to you” we really should say “We ship the Christmas Tree from our family to yours”. Working at Dutchman Tree Farm really does feel like a family. And we aren’t the dysfunctional type of family with the crazy uncle and the brother no one talks about. No, it’s more like the kind of family that if you need anything they will be there for you. Amazing, inspiring and funny people work here and I will be spotlighting some of these characters here on the blog. Today I want to spotlight …Pam McLeod, the resident mother/grandmother of Dutchman Tree Farms.

Pam has been working with Dutchman Tree Farms for the last 33 years and she has done a little bit of everything; planting, loading trucks, leading pruning crews, anything and everything Christmas Trees. Right now she works in the office and helps organize loads and book out trucks to stores across the US. Hard worker and mother of the office, it is certain that you cannot work with Pam McLeod without feeling encouraged, challenged and taken care of.

Not only is Pam a harder worker, caring and compassionate, she is dedicated. Just the other day Pam took a nasty spill off her bicycle. Yes, this grandmother of 15 rides her bike, cross country skis and does triathlons to stay in shape. After taking this spill, destroying her helmet, being knocked slightly unconscious and separating her shoulder (this should give some indication of how fast she was going) she came into work. Yes, bruised and sore she came in the very next day saying that working at her desk would be the best for her recovery.

So there she sits, with ice pack on her shoulder and a cherry red road rash under her right eye, inspiring us all to quit our whining and get back to work. Now doesn’t that just sound like family?

Would you like your Christmas Tree shipped from our Family to yours? Go to ATreeForChristmas.com and order yours today and you can have your Fresh Christmas Tree or Live Christmas Tree at your door just in time for Thanksgiving.

How Green are We?

I learned so much today about Dutchman Tree Farms after having to ask myself… How green are we? Well actually The National Parks Association asked me that question. They want to know how green we are before they endorse us for our green 2 green fundraiser. They asked me about the boxes we use to ship our products in, our fertilizers and our pesticides. When I get asked questions, I usually ask questions and I usually just ask Google, but today I asked the Dutchman Tree Farm growers. With these guys coming in and out of the office all day I was in the perfect spot to stop and ask each of them, Exactly how green are we?

While none these guys knew whether our boxes were recycled or not, I did learn quite a few things about how we do things here at Dutchman Tree Farms:
We prefer to use natural fertilizers, ashes, lime, peat moss and I was told that this year we have used more manure than ever before. We also use cover crops that are then cultivated into the ground. Any other fertilizers we use are used minimally.

As far as pesticides, I learned that because of the gypsy moth we have to spray all of our trees before we can ship them. Check out this link for the gypsy moth and you will see why using some pesticides is very important.

Other than that we use no pesticides that are considered dangerous and the pesticides that we do use, we use conservatively. We have good credibility with the Department of Agriculture and we also allow natural pest to be natural pest when they are protecting our Christmas Trees.

Other tid bits of info I picked up: We have a very extensive water conservation system. After we harvest, the stumps are ground and reticulated into the soil. Because of this, some of the sandy soil that we have is richer in nutrients after one harvest than in the 40 years prior. We replant several times more seedling than what we harvest.

So after my multiple horticultural lessons, I feel really good about working at Dutchman Tree Farms and can say that we are an environmentally friendly farm. Oh, and for our boxes… they are made of 100% recycled paper. So when you order your Christmas Tree or a Live Christmas Tree, from ATreeForChristmas.com, you can feel good too.

Would you like to ask a Christmas Tree Grower a question? Go to ATreeForChristmas.com and click the Ask Your Grower Tab.

Use the code: HasselFree and save 10% off your intire order at ATreeForChristmas.com

A Tree for Christmas

Everyone wants A Tree for Christmas. Christmas without a tree would be unimaginable. This is why Dutchman Tree Farms launched a brand new site: to make it possible for everyone (within the continental US) to easily order A Tree for Christmas hassle free.

Visit our site, A Tree for Christmas, and give us your feedback. Use the PROMO CODE: HASSLEFREE and get 10% off your entire order. We want to serve you better, but can only do so if you let us know what you need.

Free Live Christmas Tree (Weekly Raffle)

So I hope you read my previous post Win a Free Christmas Tree. Since the inception of this idea another a idea was created. We decided to have a weekly raffle leading up to this larger raffle.

For this weekly raffle all you have to do is sign up on our Facebook Fan Page. There is a tab marked "Signup" right after the tab marked "Info". Every Friday at 12pm we put the names into a randomizer and then a name is drawn. The name drawn is the winner of a
live Black Hills Spruce Live Christmas Tree which is sent directly to their front door.

To date we have had two drawings. A gentleman in Pennsylvania won the first week and a young lady in North Carolina won the second week. Currently we have applicants from California to Connecticut.

This weekly raffle will end with the drawing of the main raffle on November 15 in which three names will be drawn (read about the Nov 15 drawing in my previous post). All participants are eligible to win the main raffle even if they already won a weekly raffle.

The sooner you sign up the more chances you have to win. Good Luck!

Stay tuned for the release of our online Real Christmas Tree store.

Win a Free Christmas Tree

Dutchman Tree Farms giving away two real Christmas trees and a wreath this Christmas Season to three lucky people in the continental USA. These past few years have been a bit tight for all of us and it may be easier to be a Scrooge, but Dutchman Tree Farms has decided to give you and your family an opportunity to win a Free, yes free, Christmas Tree or Wreath.

You do not have to sign up for any unwanted promotions or take a boring survey. All you have to do is have FUN. Let me explain...

To be eligible for the Humbug Free Christmas Tree Raffle you must:

• Live within the continental USA
• Post your favorite, Christmas related, funny picture or YouTube video to our Facebook Page wall with a witty caption (any inappropriate pictures will be deleted and will make you ineligible for the raffle).
• Go to the "SignUp" tab on our Fan Page and leave your information so we know where to send the tree to if you win (Yes, your prize will be shipped right to your front door).

See! It is as easy as 1, 2, 3. The drawing will be held November 15 and the winners will be announced on November 16.

1st Prize will be able to choose a 6-7 foot (or smaller) real Christmas Tree of any species we grow on the farm. (Check out the many different species of Christmas Trees we grow on the farm)

2nd Prize will receive a 3-4 foot Table-top Fraser Christmas Tree.

3rd Prize will receive a 20 inch Christmas Wreath.

If you don't win don't be disheartened. You can always order your Christmas Tree online from Dutchman Tree Farms and have it shipped to your front door.

Buy Your Real Christmas Tree Online this Year

Yes that is correct. I said real, natural and American grown Christmas tree. I did not say artificial Christmas tree.

I am getting rather tired of always reading, "Buy your Christmas Tree Online" and when I follow the link, only then do I find out it is an artificial tree. This is why Dutchman Tree Farms decided to sell real Christmas Trees online.

Most of the employees on our farm have families and understand how busy Christmas time can become. Shopping, relatives, meals, kids, husband, wife and the list goes on. This is one reason why we decided to give you opportunity to have your real Christmas tree delivered right to your front door, freshly cut from our farm.

When you go to a Christmas Tree lot looking for the "perfect" tree you might not find it. Depending on which lot you go to you may not know when the Christmas tree you are buying was cut. It could have been cut, yes, months ago. How much more life will it have by the time it is in your living room? Only time will tell.

Ordering online gives you the convenience of ordering at almost any time of the year. You are free to pick the day it is to be delivered to your door. Right before your tree is sent Dutchman Tree Farms sends a Christmas Tree specialist to go and select the finest tree from the fields to be harvested. After harvest it is immediately packed up and shipped to you.

When you open the box you will immediately know this is the freshest tree you ever bought, and as it proudly stands in your living room you will realize it is also probably the most beautiful Christmas Tree you spent your money on.

Freshness Beauty and Convenience. What more could you ask for?

www.dutchmantreefarms.com