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Traditions continue despite Christmas tree farm closures

Traditions continue despite Christmas tree farm closures

Johnny Cruise, of Dover Plains, New York, and his family pick out a tree at Evergreen Farm in Millbrook on Friday, Nov. 28. The Cruise family have selected trees from the Evergreen Farm lot on Tower Hill Road for the past 10 years.

Photo by Nathan Miller

MILLBROOK — While others were grabbing deals at Black Friday sales, the Cruise family of Dover Plains was at Evergreen Farm on Tower Hill Road continuing a 10-year tradition of picking out their Christmas tree the day right after Thanksgiving.

They weren’t the only ones — Evergreen Christmas Tree Farm owner Richard Phillipps said he usually sells out after just one or two weekends.

Philipps has between 3,000 and 4,000 trees on his property, but only about 400 to 500 are mature enough to sell in any given year.

Zach Elder, right, holds on to a Christmas Tree while his father, Josh, both of Mt. Kisco, New York, cuts the tree down with a handsaw. Photo by Nathan Miller

The demand for Christmas trees has stayed steady, but Philipps said farmers face other challenges that have caused many to shutter operations in recent years.

“The original people, like me, they get old,” Philipps said. “The youngsters don’t want to take over the business and they sell the land. It’s typical of what happens to farmers in general.”

Some families have had to change their traditions, like the Costas family of North Salem in Westchester, New York. They came to Evergreen for the first time last year after 20 years of going to a tree farm that closed.

The Costas family of North Salem, New York, working together to fell their Christmas tree at Evergreen Farm on Friday, Nov. 28. They started coming to Evergreen farm last year because their typical tree farm of the prior 20 years closed permanently.Photo by Nathan Miller

Closures of tree farms like Fabulous Firs in Poughkeepsie have driven more customers to Evergreen Farm. The increased demand at Evergreen creates some strain for Philipps. “It’s always difficult, because customers count on us to stay open,” he said.

Despite the strain, Philipps said it’s rewarding to be a part of families’ holiday traditions, especially the longstanding ones.

“We’ve had the same people coming here for 30 years,” Philipps said. He and his wife, Wendy, said they’ve watched children and families grow up to bring multiple generations through the farm every year.

Evergreen Farms is one of three tree farms in northeast Dutchess County. Other options include Abel's Trees in Verbank and Murphy Crest Farms on Depot Hill Road in Amenia.

Nathan Miller
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