Oregon Christmas trees travel miles, starting late in November. An entire family will set up camp somewhere in Arizona, California, Nevada, etc..They would live in a trailer, set up their trees and garlands on an empty lot, and spend three, four weeks selling trees away from home, away from other family members. They probably do not own the farm where the trees were cut; they purchased a whole lot, and transported the same to other states, making this trek for generations. Their Christmas tradition is to offer you the best looking, best smelling trees you will ever see, a bit of Oregon they enjoy all year long.
In the picture above, branches of cedar cut from my yard are hung here and there to make the place smell like Christmas. I have no need for a full tree here, but we do break down about this time, a week before Christmas, and so, Hubby and I will go to a You Cut Farm, get down on our knees, and chop down a fabulous Noble that will touch our ceiling.
These trees, four to eight feet in length, have been raised for cutting, cultivated close to each other, trimmed for maximum symmetry, and watered during droughts. The Oregon tree industry is huge, and it provides lots of people with income just at the right time. My tree will probably cost me $25=40 depending on size, and it will still be a bargain! A similar tree in the city would be double or triple.
It also would not be this fresh.
If you see a trailer at a tree lot, chances are that a family from Oregon is providing you the fresh trees. Ask where the trees are from, and let the family know you appreciate their trekking down to your neck of the woods to bring a bit of green (Oregon's or...) to your family.
Merry Christmas!
On the menu, our favorites:
Roast beef
Root vegetables
Peas
Apple Pie with ice-cream
And for nostalgia: chestnuts roasting on an open fire, while Sinatra sings in the background.
