Sturdy traditions

Recession doesn't keep families from wielding saws at tree farms

Above, David Boivert photographed his family as they bought a Christmas tree at Durkee Tree Farm in Littleton. At left are family members that run the farm: from left, Brittany Aker; her brother Alan; their mother, Elizabeth Durkee Aker; their grandfather Peter Durkee; and their uncle John Durkee. (Photos by Essdras M Suarez/Globe Staff)

Michael Smolak, owner of Smolak Farms in North Andover, has a theory about why his farm has seen no drop-off in Christmas tree sales this season despite the panicky economy.

"Unlike stock portfolios, Christmas trees don't shrink after you buy them," he said. "You can be pretty sure that what you pay for is going to stay just as it is for the duration of time that you need it."

Smolak is one of many cut-your-own-tree farm owners who observed that business is brisk this year. Though none would cite sales figures, they generally agreed that they saw no reduction in customers compared with previous years. Larry Doe, who runs Doe Orchards in Harvard, said that sales were better this Thanksgiving weekend than a year ago, "even though it rained, which is normally a significant deterrent to customers."

Most farms charge one price for cut-your-own trees, to eliminate the guesswork before customers put saw to trunk. Whereas a precut tree in good condition may cost from $30 to $150 depending on its height and fullness, customers who do their own cutting usually pay $50 to $65.

Erik Peterson and his wife, Kirsten, observed an annual tradition by traveling with two friends to Durkee Tree Farm in Littleton on Thanksgiving weekend to find a fir for their Acton home. He's not fussy: "I look for something green and kind of tall."

The cut-your-own-tree option is appealing to the Petersons for several reasons, Erik said. Because they buy early in the season, their tree needs to last for more than a month, and there's no better way to guarantee freshness than to get it at the source.

Moreover, the process of selecting and sawing trees in the woods reminds Kirsten of her childhood in Montana, where the family found suitable Christmas trees on their own property.

According to Cindy Durkee Kern, her family has run the Christmas tree farm in Littleton for more than 30 years, ever since Kern's father retired from full-time work due to a back injury and started growing Christmas trees as a hobby.

Today, the business is managed by Kern's brother, and the third generation of Durkees can be found helping customers lug trees and tie them to car roofs.

At Greenwood Christmas Tree Farm in Billerica, which is also a third-generation business, owner Crystal Card marked the start of the holiday season with the unveiling of a new farm-stand shop, which features gifts, ornaments, a gas fireplace, and complimentary mulled cider along with the honey products that keep her farm running the rest of the year.

In business since 1980, Card looks forward to the return of regular customers who have grown up with Greenwood Farms Christmas trees, accompanying their parents when they were young and now returning with children of their own.

The fun of cutting a tree may not have changed, but Card said people's preferences do.

"It used to be that everyone liked a perfect A-line tree. But styles change," Card said. "Now our customers like a more natural-looking tree, with nooks and crannies to tuck their ornaments into."

Doe, of Harvard, attributes a strong Christmas tree season to the fact that he has loyal customers and did not feel compelled to raise prices this year.

"The cost of fertilizer is up a little bit, but pests were less of a problem this growing season so we needed [a smaller quantity of] pesticides. It balanced out in terms of expenses," he said.

Smolak, who is the third generation in his family to manage Smolak Farms, believes that a problematic economy may actually help his sales.

"At times like this, people look to what's real and what's traditional. What could be more traditional than cutting down a Christmas tree?"

Also, Smolak said, it is an example of experiential shopping. Tromping out into the woods to select and saw a tree isn't just a purchase; it's a family activity, and in many cases an annual tradition.

And besides being fun, it's educational, according to Barry Pailet of Concord, who describes picking out a tree with his wife and children, 5-year-old Alexis and 8-year-old Luke, as "a big democratic process."

As Luke told it, "We pick out 10 to 15 different trees to begin with and then narrow it to five and have a big conversation. After a few minutes" - "After 45 minutes to an hour," his father interjected - "we have the perfect tree."

Luke admitted, though, that force of persuasion sometimes trumps democratic process: His little sister always wants "a little teeny tree," but she gets overruled.

Every group of buyers has its own tastes, Smolak said. "I see people choose 'Charlie Brown' trees with 10 little branches, and 20-foot-high firs. Families choose based on whatever is most special to them."

One thing all the tree-growers agree on is that the season is short. Most cut-your-own-tree operations expect to be sold out 10 days before Christmas - and then they can turn their attention back to growing trees for a future generation of families.

Nancy West can be reached at nancyswest@msn.com.