Many people begin to prepare for the Christmas season right after Thanksgiving, but for Critz Farm in Cazenovia, they prepare for the holiday all year round. The Christmas tree growing process is constant; Once a tree is cut, a seedling will be planted in the spring to make sure there will be just as many to sell next year. In order to do this, Critz Farms will harvest over 5,000 trees in one year.
Finding the perfect Christmas tree has become a holiday ritual and a tradition for many families.
"They always say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I truly believe it," says Patrick Allen, an employee. But the perfect tree, technically, he says, should have a full bottom, a cone shape, and a good top.
This year for Halloween, pumpkin sales were down from last year due to the economy. However, Critz Farms says they haven't experienced any lower sales as of yet, and they don't think they will. A Christmas tree is different than a pumpkin, according to Allen, "It really warms up the season, it is tradition."
Customers can cut down their own tree from one of the 45,000 they have to choose from in their fields. They can also choose to buy a pre-cut tree or a wreath. Critz Farms' business stretches much farther than Onondaga County. Not only do they sell their trees to other wholesalers locally, but also to cities as far away as New York and Boston.
On December 26th, when Christmas is over and no more trees are being sold, Critz will take the left over trees to local zoos in order to feed their animals.
Christmas trees are not the only thing Critz's grows. They have truly become an "agri-tourism business" says Allen. Their products include, fruit, vegetables, pumpkins, apples, cider. There is no time to wait after Christmas because every spring they make fresh maple syrup from their own sugarbush.
"We prepare for the best of days and hope for the best," says Allen. Critz Farm can have up to 8,000 visitors a weekend.
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