Loudoun Tree Farms a Family Tradition

County Ranks High in Virginia for Number of Farms

By Anna Marie Finley

Monday, December 17, 2007

Whether it's tall, short, skinny or round; Douglas, Frasier, spruce, or pine; beauty is in the eye of the beholder when it comes to Christmas tree shopping.

And during the holiday season, Loudoun tree farms let every family find its perfect tree.

With more than 15 tree farms sprawled across the county, Loudoun ranks third among Virginia counties for its number of tree farms. Tree farmers also have seen an increase in sales because of the booming number of new homes in recent years, said Doug Johnston, of Ticonderoga Farms near South Riding.

After working 15 years at Ticonderoga Farms and managing the farm's four tree fields, Johnston has learned a few things. At the top of the list: Tree-pickers know what they want when they arrive.

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Ticonderoga Christmas Tree Farm

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Susan and James Cassell, of Great Falls, watch as a worker wraps up their tree at Ticonderoga Farm. (Anna Marie Finley)

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Snow falls on growing Christmas trees at Ticonderoga Farm in Chantilly. (Anna Marie Finley)

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Jon Fink plays in the snow at Ticonderoga Farm while his parents try to pick out a Christmas tree. (Anna Marie Finley)

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Tom Fink sizes up a Christmas tree at Ticonderoga Farm in Chantilly. (Anna Marie Finley)

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Jon Fink cares more about the falling snow than the tree his parents are trying to pick out. (Anna Marie Finley)

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Gina Fink fixes her son's hat while Christmas tree hunting with her husband, Tom. (Anna Marie Finley)

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Jon Fink plays in the snow on a tree stump at Ticonderoga Farm. (Anna Marie Finley)

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"People want to continue their own family tradition; they want trees they grew up with," he said.

At Ticonderoga, certain trees have become the most popular through the years, with Scotch pine, white pine and Virginia pine topping the list. Johnston also has had more customers asking for bigger and taller trees.

"As the houses get bigger, so do the trees," he said with a laugh. "I always remind people that it will always look bigger inside than it does outside."

Snow this month has draped the farm's trees in a thick, white blanket, but that hasn't stopped some shoppers from coming out to the farm.

Susan Cassell and her husband, James, of Great Falls, were driving through the area earlier this month and decided to stop at Ticonderoga to look for a tree. Cassell said she found just what she wanted among the pre-cut trees.

Loudoun residents Tom and Gina Fink were on their second trip to the farm earlier this month with their 6-year-old son, Jon. They started shopping among the pre-cut trees, then meandered over to the tree fields.

"Cutting a tree down is a lot of work," Gina Fink said.

Jon examined each tree his parents picked out -- and was excited when they settled on their choice.

Johnston said he has seen returning customers for years, some traveling more than an hour to cut down their tree.

Across the county, sitting along the slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Snickers Gap Tree Farm also is in the midst of the busy holiday season. The Wolff family planted its first Christmas trees in 1981 and sold its first batch of trees in 1988.

Steve Wolff, manager of the choose-and-cut tree farm, frequently guides customers through 30 acres of 43,000 trees. The farm's specialties are Douglas Fir and Colorado blue spruce.

Wolff said he enjoys helping families maintain their tradition of cutting down a Christmas tree, and this year his Christmas card mailing list topped 6,500.

"We have one man who has come every year since 1988 to get his tree," Wolff said. "I always give him that year's price to keep him coming back."

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Snickers Gap Christmas Tree Farm

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Marcus Holmes, from Fauquier County, searches through the trees at Snickers Gap Tree Farm, near Round Hill. (Kyle Hansen)

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Liz Holmes pulls her 21-month-old daughter, Mandy, on a sled while her other daughter, Ashley, 13, helps find a tree. (Kyle Hansen)

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Ashley, Liz, Morgan and Taylor Holmes look for the right tree to decorate their house. (Kyle Hansen)

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Morgan Holmes, 9, pulls a sleigh through the trees while trying to catch up to the rest of the family to see the tree their dad picked out. (Kyle Hansen)

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Taylor, Mandy, Liz and Morgan Holmes watch as their father cuts down the family Christmas tree. (Kyle Hansen)

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Marcus Holmes uses a hand saw to cut down a Christmas tree. (Kyle Hansen)

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The Holmes family heads back to the barn at Snickers Gap Tree Farm with their tree. (Kyle Hansen)

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Morgan, Ashley and Taylor Holmes pull their Christmas tree through the snow. (Kyle Hansen)

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Morgan, Ashley and Taylor Holmes pull their Christmas tree through the snow. (Kyle Hansen)

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Trees wait under the falling snow for shoppers looking for the "perfect" tree. (Kyle Hansen)

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Morgan, Ashley and Taylor Holmes fall on top of each other while trying to pull the Christmas tree down a hill. (Kyle Hansen)

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Morgan, Ashley and Taylor Holmes pull their Christmas tree through the snow. (Kyle Hansen)

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Morgan, Ashley and Taylor Holmes pull their Christmas tree back to the barn with their father, Marcus, close behind. (Kyle Hansen)

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Juergen Jankovits, a cousin of the owner of the Snickers Gap Tree Farm, uses a machine to shake the snow and dead branches out of the Holmes' Christmas tree. (Kyle Hansen)

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Juergen Jankovits pulls the Holmes' tree through a machine to wrap up the branches so that it can be tied to the top of a car. (Kyle Hansen)

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Marcus Holmes secures the tree to the top of the car while Liz gets the kids into their seats. (Kyle Hansen)

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Lightly falling snow covers a barn next to the Snickers Gap Christmas tree farm. (Kyle Hansen)

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The Holmes family, from Fauquier County, is familiar with the variety of trees and sledding hills at Snickers Gap. Liz Holmes said the family has been coming to the farm as long as she can remember.

As dad led the pack (four girls to be exact), the family searched for triangular trees -- "triangular is what appeals to us," Liz Holmes said.

For the Holmes sisters, the hard part isn't deciding between the rows and rows of trees. Instead, it's deciding on what to name the tree -- especially when the name becomes longer each year. The naming tradition is just another part of the family's trip to the farm.

"We have added on to the tree's name each year, but this year we can't decide," 12-year-old Taylor said.

The family managed to drag a tree to the barn, where the girls enjoyed some of the farm's fresh-pressed cider.

"We drive about an hour to get here, but it's worth it," Liz Holmes said. "There isn't a prettier tree farm around."

Tagged: christmas

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