The quest for the perfect Christmas tree began Black Friday and will continue through Christmas Eve at local tree farms.

“We have been coming here 35 years. This is the first tree farm we visited. It is so beautiful and organized,” said Frank Acuna of Staten Island, New York.

He and his wife, Sharon, have purchased their tree from Old Homestead Tree Farm in Lehighton every year. They used to bring their children.

“It was a tradition to cut our own tree. But now my wife and I pick a pre-cut one due to health reasons,” he said.

The most popular Christmas tree is the Fraser fir, second is the Douglas fir, third is the concolor fir, and the blue spruce lags behind in fourth place,” said Oscar Beck, who has owned Beck’s Yule Tree Farms in Slatington about 60 years.

Old Homestead is 218 acres, of which 100 acres are tree production. Owner Earl Beers planted the first batch of trees in 1976 and sold them in 1982.

“The Christmas tree business is a long-term venture,” said Beers. “I shared stories with my Pappy Claude George. After a few seconds, Pappy would say, ‘From all you told me, it’s a long-term gamble, not a venture.’ ”

The weather is always a gamble.

“It’s a slower day when the weather is bad. Hopefully all that rain we had won’t continue,” said Cindy Schroeder, who owns Schroeder Family Farms in Barnesville with her husband, Daniel D. Schroeder.

His father, Daniel A. Schroeder, started the family business in 1959. Its 59 acres is all trees.

A rainy season

Heavy rains this fall hurt some of the seedlings.

“We lost a small percentage of seedlings. We will plant double to make up for what we lost,” said Schroeder.

This was also the case at Yenser’s Tree Farm in Lehighton.

“The rain did not affect the established trees. They are doing fine. We did lose some seedlings and will replace next year,” said Jan Wentz, a partner in the family business.

With rain, comes mud. Lots of mud. It’s been a problem at DeHaven’s Christmas Tree Farm in Saylorsburg.

“If the ground is frozen or muddy, extra handling is needed to make sure the tree is not being drug. We may need three men to carry it instead,” said Beth DeHaven, manager and an owner of the family business.

The heavy snowfall on Nov. 15 turned into mud, which is still lingering at Beck’s family-owned business.

“It was a real bad day for shipping the trees that Thursday. And we still have mud,” Beck said.

Beers doesn’t mind the rain as much as he minds the snowfall.

“The snow hurts us more than the rain. We can put on rain suits and work. But we can’t see the trees under the heavy, wet snow. It is no longer natural looking,” Beers said. “I would rather have a heavy snow on Christmas morning.”

Old Homestead’s business has grown steadily since its beginning. However, competitors are still part of the gamble.

“Now there are too many backyard hobby growers. They have an acre or two and plant trees. They are our competitors and they are everywhere,” Beers said.

Schroeder said there are not a lot of other growers in her area and she is not worried by the competition elsewhere.

“I don’t look at other farms as competition. They are just trying to make a living,” Schroeder said.

Despite these two gambles, the tree farms had exemplary sales the first weekend, Black Friday through Sunday, Nov. 25.

“I think that Thursday snowstorm a few weeks ago motivated early sales. People were ready to get their Christmas tree,” DeHaven said.

Schroeder agreed that the early snowstorm is good for business.

“People really get in the spirit of Christmas when it snows. We were surprisingly busy on Black Friday,” she said.

Beers said his sales were very good considering it’s so early in the season.

“It’s a long time from Black Friday to Christmas morning,” he said.

Beck considers his sales normal for this time of the year.

“No one has driven away without a tree. That’s an indication that sales are going well,” he said.

Each of the tree farms offer pre-cut trees or the option to do it yourself.

“You can search anywhere on the farm and cut your own. We give you a saw and cart to transport it from the field. We will get it ready for your home by shaking it on the mechanical shaker and then bale it,” Beers said.

Activities

They all offer more than Christmas trees.

“We have continued to add to our Pines and Pumpkins Gift Shop. We have wreaths, swags, arrangements in different containers, lots of decorative signs, and other decorations,” Wentz said.

At Old Homestead, an older gentleman from Moscow has made hundreds of wreaths to sell there exclusively. Beers said he wishes to remain anonymous to the public.

“Years ago, he won the national wreath-making competition at the National Christmas Tree Association winter meeting,” said Beers. “I don’t know what I’ll do when he no longer makes them.”

They vary in size and price, some with bright red bows and others with burgundy bows. They are adorned with berries and pine cones.

DeHaven’s sells wreaths, grave blankets, and Christmas tree stands.

Each tree farm has something special to offer its guests on the weekends.

This weekend, Nov. 30 through Dec. 2, is Trees for the Troops at Yenser’s.

The Lehighton High School choir will perform at 3 p.m. Saturday, Wentz said.

There are free hay rides every weekend, where tree shoppers can hop on and off at the different patches.

Old Homestead is “fun and pet-friendly on the weekends,” Beers said. “We get a lot of dogs here.”

The food stands are open on weekends and sell hot dogs, chicken fingers, fries, and beverages.

Santa Claus is at Old Homestead every Sunday in December from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Beers said.

Beck’s also has food stands on the weekend, which are operated by the Grange, a local farmers society. Santa visits every Saturday and Sunday to hand out coloring books and candy canes.

Schroeder’s has a food trailer every weekend. McHugh’s Catering sells hamburgers, pierogies, fries, soft drinks, coffee and tea, Schroeder said.

Santa will visit DeHaven’s from noon to 2 p.m. on Sunday.

“If the weather is nice, he’ll ride the wagon with the kids. If it’s not nice, he’ll be inside to talk with children,” DeHaven said.

They have free wagon rides every Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Another weekend favorite is the s’mores, she said.

“For the past two years, we have had two campfires on the property. We sell packages of s’mores ingredients.”

Picking out a tree at DeHaven’s is like tailgating at a football game.

“They bring a grill and beverages. They spend an entire day with family to hunt for a tree. They hang out and toss around a football,” DeHaven said.