Rockford Christmas tree farm prepares for busy season

ROCKFORD, Mich. (WOOD) — The Friday after Thanksgiving is one of the busiest days of the year to buy a Christmas tree.

For many, the day after Thanksgiving is spent doing some Black Friday shopping or searching for the best deals at the mall or online. However, some have a different mission in mind: finding the perfect Christmas tree.

For many families in West Michigan, it’s a tradition that’s been around for decades.

“We have been cutting down trees since these guys were little,” the Darby family said. “With my oldest being 31, it’s been a long time.”

“I think we’ve been doing it since 2010,” the Hoeksema family said.

“We’ve come out here every year since I was little,” the Hoskins family said.

Instead of hunting for those hard-to-beat Black Friday deals at the mall, families bundled up their little ones and headed to Hart Tree Farm in Rockford to find their Christmas tree. The owner of Hart Tree Farm, Tom Hart, said the holiday season is a time they prepare for all year long.

According to Hart, a single Christmas tree can take up to ten years to fully grow, and even though it’s a lot of work, Hart said it’s rewarding to see families find their favorite one.

“You have to put a lot of care into the tree for many, many years and then hopefully you have a successful-looking tree at the end,” he said. “It’s a family tradition, for a lot of people to come out and cut a tree every year. We look forward to seeing everybody.”

As a reminder for those who are using real trees this year, Hart said to keep them away from sources of heat, including direct sunlight. Also, make sure to keep your tree well-watered, in order to keep it from drying out.

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