A Sad Farewell

Theresa Ladd

"Theresa was such a pleasure to work with. Her calm and loyal demeanor will be something I will always remember. Of course, the most treasured thing is a friendship and that will never end!"

Ruth Winkel

This is just one of the many sentiments expressed as Theresa Ladd, after 19 1/2 years of loyal service, said her good-byes to Dutchman Christmas Tree Farms. It was a moment of sadness for all of us to see her go.

I only knew her for a a very brief period of time and most of our communication was via e-mail so I may not be the best person to express all she did for the Christmas tree farm. I can tell you what I do know. Her work was marked by a genuine caring for those around her and an exemplar professionalism.

This Christmas will be different than the last 19 on the farm. A member of the Dutchman Tree Farm family will not be here. We are thankful for all your years of service and ask God to bless your future wherever it may take you.

Buy a fresh Christmas Tree online at http://www.atreeforchristmas.com. Shipping is Free!

Dirty Christmas Secret Exposed

Just recently, I had to leave work immediately after a phone call to fly across the country to visit my dad whose life was hanging on a fraying thread. He had been admitted to the ICU with double pneumonia and a critical heart issue. The cause, smoking. Ever since I can remember my dad had a cigarette in his mouth. The only time he didn't light up was at church. It took many years for his smoking to catch up with him, but little by little, cigarette by cigarette, his health deteriorated. He remained in the ICU sedated for weeks while doctors constantly checked on his precarious condition. I spent two weeks next to his lifeless form hoping and praying his time would not be then. Fortunately it wasn't. After many months of learning how to walk again and other intense rehab he was on the mend. Like everyone else he was aware of the risks of smoking. Like many smokers he thought, "It won't happen to me". If he had really wanted to avoid this near death experience he could have put forth the effort to stop. I do not hate smokers, but I believe my experience can help smokers understand the potential havoc this addiction can cause on loved ones. I could have lost him. Even though he has his issues, as we all do, he is my dad and losing him would have been devastating. So what does this have to do with Christmas? The answer is quite simple. Most people know over 1.3 million people world-wide are smokers and an average of 443,000 Americans die of smoking each year. But what many people do not know is 3.5 million people in the United States have lead poisoning. Lead poisoning affects the central nervous system and red blood cells. Some statistics show that lead poisoning leads to mental retardation during pregnancy, reduced mental development as a child progresses and a reduction in the child IQ. Other symptoms include nausea, abdominal pain and chronic headaches. Studies have show that exposure to high amounts of lead is the predominant cause of anemia. Why isn't there an aggressive campaign to combat lead poisoning as there is to stop smoking? Mathematically, the consequences of lead poisoning are more rampant than those of smoking. PVC contains lead. California is considering a ban of the use of PVC in packaging because studies have shown PVC leeches (leaks) lead. So the question I leave you, is why would you expose yourself and those you love to lead at Christmas by having a PVC (a.k.a. Artificial) Christmas Tree? My dad got lucky. Are you going to take a chance and risk your health and possibly your life? I am sure when smoking was becoming popular the celebrities of the time were in cigarette ads. If you visit some of these artificial Christmas tree web-sites you will see some celebrities of our time. Do yourself a favor and think for yourself. Don't put yourself or those you love in danger because some celebrities face was on an ad.

Treetopia

Buy a fresh Christmas Tree online at http://www.atreeforchristmas.com. Shipping is Free!

Facebook Fan of the Month

Starting this month, September, I will be choosing a Fan of the Month on our Facebook Page. Yes, you do have to be a fan in order to win.

The Fan of the month will be elected by the content he or she posts to the Dutchman Tree Farms Fan Page during the month. I love pictures, videos, witty comments, Christmas brain teasers or anything Christmas related. The more the merrier and the chances of you winning increases. Tell your friends.

At the end of this month the winner will be awarded a Dutchman Tree Farms fan ball cap. If you don't win have no fear! You won't be 'boiled in your own pudding and buried with a stick of holly through your heart' (Name that quote). You will have another chance to win the following month. At the beginning of next month I will let you know what the prize will be.

Buy a fresh Christmas Tree online at http://www.atreeforchristmas.com. Shipping is Free!

Planning the Christmas of Your Dreams

We all hear of people planning the wedding of their dreams, but what about planning the Christmas of your dreams?

Dutchman Tree Farms would like to help you start planning the Christmas of your dreams. I have created a survey on our Fan Page in order to understand your needs to help you get the most gorgeous Christmas tree you have ever had without any hassle.

While you worry about baking Christmas cookies and drinking hot chocolate, Dutchman Tree Farms is committed to making sure the Christmas tree of your dreams arrives directly to your front door. This will give you more time to focus on enjoying the Christmas Season and less time worrying about shopping.

Buy a fresh Christmas Tree online at http://www.atreeforchristmas.com. Shipping is Free!

Not the Only Christmas Tree In a Box

I was reading the article “Real Christmas Trees Vs. Artificial: How to Choose”. The bottom line for why to choose an Artificial Tree was:

“Artificial Christmas trees are perfect for on-the-go families and those with a low patience threshold. It's simply a tree-in-a-box---literally. If you're short on time, on a tight budget, or just don't want to venture out in the frightful weather, an artificial Christmas tree could be just what you need.”

What author of the is article must not realize is that her argument for the fake tree could also be made for ordering your real Christmas tree from ATreeForChristmas.com

-“perfect for the on-the- go families and those with a low patience threshold.” It doesn’t get easier than ordering online and having your real Christmas tree shipped right to your door. For those of you of who have ever tried to put together a fake Christmas tree, you know it is like piecing it together a 3-D jigsaw puzzle, trying to manipulate metal and plastic to create a natural look. I don’t really see how that is good for people with a low patience threshold.

-“It’s simply a tree-in-a-box---literally.” Literally when you order your real Christmas tree from ATreeForChristmas.com it comes right to your door in … get this… a box. No really, it is shipped in a box and you don’t even have to put it together.

-“Short on time” it takes less than five minutes to order online, and you don’t have to wait in a checkout line.

-“on a tight budget” with free shipping from one of the largest Christmas trees farms in the US, you get the highest quality Christmas tree for the very best price.

- “Don’t want to venture out in the frightful weather” How about you just open your front door.
I think that the author of this article made some great points, but not in favor of the fake Christmas tree. Choose the other Christmas tree in a box this year, it could be just what you need.

To order your real Christmas tree in a box go to the website ATreeForChristmas.com. Use the code HASSLEFREE and save 10% off your entire order.

Going Green

Today there is a lot of talk about going green and green jobs. Everyday we are inundated, through the multifarious forms of media, with the importance of making sure we keep our planet healthy and clean. We are all responsible to do our part.

At Dutchman Tree Farms, as do all Christmas tree farmers, we take this responsibility seriously. Every year we after harvesting your Christmas trees, we plant over 250,000 new trees. Big deal. Right? Well maybe, but before shrugging this off let's think about this.

A mature tree produces as much oxygen in a season as ten people inhale in one year. Now if we multiply 250,000 by 10 that means, just the trees we plant each year, 2.5 million people are being supplied with oxygen every season and 8.2 million every year. Yes, obviously the trees we plant each year are not yet mature, but what about the over 6 million on the farm which are? That is enough oxygen for over 60 million people a season and over 240 million a year. This means Dutchman Tree Farms produces enough oxygen for well over half of the United State population each year.

I hope I am not too bold as to ask that we ask ourselves a simple question: Are my hard earned dollars this year going to help enhance our planet or will they end up polluting it?

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Buy a fresh Christmas Tree online at http://www.atreeforchristmas.com. Shipping is Free!

God Bless Our Troops

I have always wondered why the people to whom we usually owe the most only get one day out of the year in their honor: mothers, fathers and those who have given their lives to protect our freedom.

Today we remember those who gave their lives so we wouldn't have to give our own, the countless brave men and women who believed in our one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. These heroes died for their beliefs and for us.

At Christmas time every year, Dutchman Tree Farms honors our troops by donating hundreds of Christmas trees to Trees for Troops. It is our small way of saying, thank you, to the families of those heroes who have put their lives on the line for you and me.

Tell us how you show your gratitude to these heroes?

Come visit our tree farm.