Wisconsin families love a good tradition. For many it’s the annual pilgrimage to Deer Camp. Or it’s opening day tailgating at Miller Park. Traditions abound in this state—especially around the holidays—which is why this year, I decided it was time to finally partake in Wisconsin's most popular Christmastime ritual: The Diedricks packed up the ol' artificial tree and embarked on a quest for the perfect real Christmas tree. We were all pretty excited and my wife and I figured our daughters, aged 12 and 9, would remember these memories over what they actually received from Jolly Old St. Nick.
Little did I know, we were in for a big treat and we learned a ton along the way. For starters, did you know Wisconsin has over 1,100 Christmas Tree Farms throughout the state?! According to the Wisconsin Christmas Tree Producers Association, 66 of those offer a “cut your own” experience, and lucky for me, one is located only 2 miles from my house. So we kicked off our new family tradition at Riverside Christmas Trees in Marshall, Wis.
While it was fun with saw in hand, cutting the tree, it was also a great time getting to know the family that’s helping us create Christmas memories. The Motl family got involved in the business in 2001 but didn't open Riverside Christmas Trees until 2009. You see, it took a whole eight years for his first crops to be ready for a holiday harvest. Alan may have started the business to rekindle a family tradition of his own. When he was young, his father had a tree business that he, along with his brother and sister, worked at growing up. And while he may have moved on and left that family business, he now feels the time is right to start a family business of his own. The decision to have a “cut your own” farm was an easy one. He said, “To have a family having fun purchasing your product; and then say ‘we'll see you next year’, you get a feeling you did things right and the long hours were worth it.”
So perhaps you're wondering: why cut down a tree you’re only going to use for a short period of time? Here are some facts I learned visiting Alan and Riverside Christmas Trees.
If it’s your first visit to a tree farm, you may be overwhelmed by the variety of Christmas trees to choose from. I went to the expert once again and asked Alan to describe each variety. Watch what he has to say in the video below:
Even though you may only think about Christmas trees after Thanksgiving, tree farming is a year-round business:
Thinking about bringing a real Christmas tree into your house for the holiday season? Before you run to your local Wisconsin tree farm, check out these tips to ensure you come home with the best tree possible. With a little TLC, your tree can stay lively through the end of January.
One Diedrick family tradition down! Share your holiday traditions with us in the comments below.
Chad Diedrick is the managing producer for the nation’s longest-running tourism TV show, Discover Wisconsin. In his 12+ years of discovering Wisconsin, Chad has seen virtually every corner of the state. Between filming breaks, you’re likely to catch Chad trying his hand at a round of disc golf at a local course. (His goal is to hit every disc golf course in Wisconsin!) Watch Discover Wisconsin Saturdays at 10 a.m. on FSN Wisconsin’s outdoor block.
Great article Chad! I actually learned a lot. It makes me want to go out and chop my tree. Thanks for the informative article!
Happy Holidays to the entire DW family!
~ Jenny
I really enjoyed your article on cutting Christmas trees. However it would have been nice to get a link that listed a farm in my area.
Lisa, for a map of Christmas Tree Farms in your area, click on the first link in the article above: "Wisconsin Christmas Tree Producers Association" (http://www.christmastrees-wi.org/choose_and_cut.html).