For many in New England, it's tradition in early December to visit a farm or roadside stand and pick out a Christmas tree. Hot cocoa or cider, holiday music, and the pungent, sweet smell of spruce, fir and evergreen signify the start of the Christmas season as children search the grounds for that perfect tree.
December is not so tranquil for those who sell Christmas trees, but it's just as festive — and a time for family and friends to bond during the holidays while making an extra buck.
Here's a look at three Christmas tree spots on the North Shore:
Robert Atherton Jr. has sold Christmas trees and more from Rose Hip Farm in Beverly for 24 years. He began working with his father, Robert Sr., then took the farm over when Dad retired to Florida.
Rose Hip sells annuals, perennials, summer vegetables and chrysanthemums from a rustic barn during the growing seasons, and in late November the structure is transformed into a Christmas oasis, with greens, wreaths, baskets and kissing balls hanging from rafters.
Trees of all types lean against fences outside, where Atherton, or one of several employees, helps customers pick out the tree, trim the trunk with a chain saw and secure the tree to a car.
Atherton's "employees" are actually friends and family, like his children, or fellow firefighters from Beverly Fire Department.
Owning a family business keeps Atherton close to his loved ones.
"I have a ball. I look forward to it every year," he said about the sale. "A lot of time, during the holiday season, families are too busy to get together. Here we all work together in November and December."
When the farm was just starting out, father and son also had a chance to bond: They would drive to Canada to scout tree farms. The trips paid off, and Rose Hip has strong relationships with vendors up north, in Oregon, Washington and the Carolinas.
"The running days are over, because I've been in the business so long," said Atherton, who added he keeps the specific location of suppliers secret because the pursuit is so competitive.
One vendor he doesn't mind sharing is the Passamaquoddy Indian tribe of northern Maine, from whom Rose Hips gets its wreaths and greens. His farm is the Passamaquoddies' trusted customer, according to Atherton.
"They take such pride in their work, it's amazing," Atherton said of the tribe his father searched out more than 20 years ago.
Several Passamaquoddies deliver the order in a rustic pickup and trailer, and family from Utopia Farm in Wenham show up to help unload, as they do when tractor-trailers arrive, full of trees from Canada. Utopia Farm is owned by Atherton's cousin, William Atherton, and the farms combine tree orders to bring down costs and share labor.
At Marini Farm in Ipswich, Michael and Kim Marini this year started a tradition of their own, "Christmas on the Hill."
According to Michael Marini, the young couple researched the business thoroughly before driving up to northern Quebec to hand-pick 1,000 Frasers and balsams.
The Marinis made the four-day trip in early July, between strawberry and corn crops, with daughter Madelyn, 2.
"I know a tremendous amount about vegetables, but I didn't know a lot about Christmas trees," said Michael, who spent a day on a family-owned Canadian farm. "I really have a love for growing, and I think they saw that in us. So they took the whole day to show us around."
Michael said he expects the trek to Canada to be an annual tradition for his family.
Selling Christmas trees is not just for families; it's also for fundraising.
Project Adventure sells wreaths, swags, greens and trees from Moraine Farm on its campus on Route 97. Amanda Mazzaglia, Project Adventure's conference center coordinator, runs the tree sale, which has been downsized this year. Previously, the sale was held in a barn on the property and offered hayrides and other activities for families.
According to Scott Kennedy, director of development, the 6-year-old sale is always "very organized — like clockwork, very efficient."
Mazzaglia hand-picks 150 balsams at Spence Farm in Woburn, which gets its trees from Nova Scotia, Canada.
"They really like PA, so they give us great trees," Mazzaglia said of Spence.
Staff help unload trees, unwrap them and assemble greens, and members of the Essex County Garden Club decorate wreaths. On a recent Friday, some staff members sang Christmas carols while working.
"Staff volunteer on weekends along with friends and local folks," Kennedy said. "It's a group effort."
Mazzaglia said they keep the price of trees a little lower, to bring people in. Also, baked goods and hot drinks are offered inside a large conference room.
One hundred percent of proceeds go to fund PA's programs, she added.
