If you’re having a hard time choosing your Christmas tree from one of Virginia’s 500 tree farms this season, just stop and listen.
“You come here, walk around, and decide which tree is speaking to you,” said second-generation grower Tim O’Neal on a recent episode of Virginia Farm Bureau’s TV show Real Virginia. He and his wife, Laura, cultivate Scotch and white pines at their choose-and-cut farm in Amelia County.
O’Neal’s Christmas Trees and other Virginia Christmas tree farms have been preparing for the holiday rush. According to the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Christmas trees are a significant contributor to Virginia’s agricultural economy, with annual sales around $10 million.
“We’ve got handsaws you can borrow from us to cut the tree if you want that experience yourself, or we’ll gladly come cut it for you,” Tim continued.
Then they shake it, net it, and help strap it to your vehicle.
They farm in the “flatlands” of Central Virginia.
“We can’t grow fir...