This post was written in 2015, so some information may be out-of-date. Please be sure to check their website for the latest details.
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I know many of you are getting ready to start a day of cooking or traveling or just enjoying spending time with family. No matter what you are doing, Shawna and I want to wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving!
AND . . . just in case Christmas tree shopping is on your family’s to-do list in the next few weeks, I wanted to squeeze in one quick post this week with details on where we went last year to get our tree. So here you go . . .
Since I started having children, I was determined to get a fresh-cut Christmas tree for our home each year. I used to buy the pre-cut trees, but I thought the experience of cutting down our own tree might be a fun family tradition. Plus, I’ve definitely found that the fresh-cut trees hold up really well during the holiday season!
Of course because of the blog, my family and I have managed to purchase trees from 3 different places the last three years (gotta keep checking out new places!) but that means our only tradition is the actual task of cutting down the tree and not really the place itself. But I kind of like that. We’ve been able to experience three wonderful destinations during that time (and I know I’ve only barely scratched the surface of the many options we have in this area!)
In 2012, we took our first cut-your-own tree outing and went to Bees, Fleas, and Trees in Litchfield, Connecticut. The farm is owned by Elizabeth Gilbert’s Dad (also known as the author of Eat, Pray, Love) and that destination was beautiful and full of memory-making opportunities. Then in 2013, we ventured to South Windsor to visit the live reindeer and cut down a tree at Dzen Tree Farm. I was sad last year when that farm was unable to open for the season due to access issues, but I’m happy to see that they are back in business for the 2015 Christmas tree season. Then last year we ventured way up north, right over the state line, and got our tree from Coward Farm in Southwick, MA.
The farm is located right off of College Highway in Southwick, Massachusetts. It is actually just right down the road from Meadow View Farm which I wrote about a few months ago. From our home in West Hartford, it took about 40 minutes to get to Coward Farm.
But I have to take a quick break in my post and point out that I just realized that the northern border of Connecticut is rather odd. It runs straight across and then dips in right at Southwick, MA. Why in the world was the border drawn that way?
I guess I wasn’t the first person to wonder about this abnormality (shocking!) and I was able to find quite a bit of information online about this area which was disputed by Connecticut and Massachusetts for quite a long time. If you are curious too, check out the post about the Southwick Jog written by our good friend at CTMQ.
And now back to my post.
Coward Farm was rather busy on the Saturday we decided to visit. I guess that isn’t too surprising for a Christmas tree farm in December. Ha! As we pulled into the large parking area we could see the main building and then tons of people heading out to the fields looking for their perfect tree.
As we entered the main area, we saw the sign below. It is a bit hard to read, so I’ve included the steps below.
- Take a saw & tag
- Fasten tag to top of tree and keep bottom half of tag
- Bring your tree to a candy cane for pick up or bring back yourself
- Bring your tag to the big barn and pay for your tree
- After you have paid bring stamped tag to claim your tree
I LOVE instructions like this and it sounded simple enough to me, so we decided to get started.
First step was to get a tag and saw which we found right here near the front.
With both in hand, we made our way out to the fields in search of our perfect tree (don’t worry the trees get much bigger than the ones pictured below, I promise!)
After some hunting for the perfect tree and attempting to keep the kids from running too far away, we finally found the tree for us!
My husband got to work using the saw to cut down our tree.
We attached our tag to the top of the tree and were sure to tear off the bottom section to keep for ourselves. We could then either carry the tree back to the main entrance or look for the candy canes which marked where the cut trees could be picked up. We decided to find a candy cane and leave our tree there.
And then this guy came by and collected our tree to bring it back to the front.
We made our way to the barn where we paid for the tree (this year the cut-your-own trees are $42 plus tax) and got our ticket stamped. There were lots of fun holiday items to shop for in the barn as well and hot chocolate was available for purchase.
With stamped ticket in hand, we made our way back out front to collect our tree. They had it all wrapped up nicely for us.
They also had string available on site if you needed some to attached your tree to your car. Handy!
After a pretty simple outing, we were all excited to head home and get our tree set up and decorated (well at least I was excited about that part).
Once again we found a great place to cut our own Christmas tree. And while it isn’t a destination technically in Connecticut, it looks to me like it actually should be (Just kidding, I don’t want to stir up any ill-will between the states. Ha!)
Where is your family’s favorite place to go to purchase your Christmas tree? Let me know by leaving a comment below!
Coward Farm
150 College Highway, Southwick, Massachusetts
Find them on Facebook
Hours:
Open for the Christmas season starting November 27, 2015
Daily hours:
- Monday from Noon to 4:30 pm
- Tuesday to Friday 10:00 am – 4:30 pm
- Weekends 8:00 am – 4:30 pm
Pricing:
- Cut-Your-Own trees are $42 plus tax
- Precut trees range in price from $20 – $50
Details:
- Stroller Friendly: Possibly. You shouldn’t have a problem maneuvering a jogging stroller in the fields. A baby carrier (like a Baby Bjorn) would be a great option too.
- Coffee Mug Friendly: Yes.
- Restroom: YES. Port-a-potties located near the entrance.
- Baby Changing Station: NO.
- Parking: YES.
- Food for Sale: I don’t remember. I do remember they were selling hot chocolate.
- Outside Food Allowed: YES.
- Cash Required: NO.
- Dress Code: None, but I would definitely dress for the weather. Wear comfortable shoes or boots and brings hats and gloves if it is chilly.
- Age Recommendations: ALL AGES
- Evening/Weekend Hours: YES.
- Discounts: NONE.
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