Between one row of Fraser fir Christmas tress at Tom Sawyer Christmas Tree Farm and Elf Village, Glenville, NC. Photo by Samantha Lughart.
Story co-reported with Sara Stanley.
Christmas time for many is a time for family, giving and making memories. At Tom Sawyer Christmas Tree Farm, the focus is on the experience of picking out a one-of-a-kind tree and enjoying the spirit of the holiday.
The owner, Tom Sawyer, understands the gift of family memories, acknowledging that many people will probably pass multiple tree farms before getting to his countryside farm overlooking Glenville Lake. He believes the experience of his farm is what encourages people to make the drive.
“I think the experience of getting the tree is really all about family and going out together to do things. The adults have, at some point in their young lives, done that with their parents. They want to pass on the baton to their kids so that they have that same enjoyment.”
The farm has expansive rows of Christmas trees of varying heights, a wreath and gift shop, an Elf Village for the kids and a visiting food truck with coffee for cold days. Open Nov. 23 through Dec. 14, the farm welcomes guests rain or shine.
Sawyer moved to Cashiers from Florida and bought the 80 acres of land that now hosts the Tom Sawyer Christmas Tree Farm in 1989. At first just a piece of land with no structures, Sawyer, who had no family history of farming, began his business.
In 2009, with the help of workers and family, the Elf Village was added to the experience, bringing a unique element to the farm and giving children memories they can hold on to throughout their adult lives. As children run among the stations, creating crafts, dressing up like elves and meeting Santa, parents can choose from the hundreds of trees at the farm.
Sawyer and his family are not alone in the business of Christmas tree farming, with roughly 15 other farms growing trees for sale in Jackson County alone. While the business brings in agricultural revenue for Jackson county, it also helps the environment.
According to the North Carolina Christmas Tree Association, Christmas tree farms such as Sawyer’s provide oxygen for 18 people per acre and are completely recyclable, unlike plastic trees that are not recyclable and eventually end up in the landfill.
“What tradition is a fake tree?” Sawyer asked. In his family’s home, a towering 18-foot Fraser fir Christmas tree brings the holiday to life.
On the farm, only Fraser firs are grown and guests are welcome to have a worker cut the tree down or, if they want, can do the job themselves.
“Best needle retention, and they’re that beautiful blue-green color. When you cut them here at the farm, you know when they’re cut and how fresh they are, and they last for months, not just for Christmas,” Sawyer said convincingly.
Keeping with the Christmas spirit of family, Tom Sawyer works at the farm alongside his wife, Myra, as well as Santa Claus himself.
See more on the farm and what you will see there.
