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New Hampshire
‘We try to make it a very family event’: New England farms open for Christmas tree season – The Boston Globe
Most will open to the public this weekend, some for just a couple of days. The selling season is shorter this year, thanks to a late Thanksgiving. Although heavy rains and a late spring frost recently decimated seedlings for several popular Christmas tree varieties in New Hampshire and parts of New England are experiencing drought conditions, farmers are adapting.
Phillips, a retired software engineer, said his family expects to sell about 300 trees this season from their small 5-acre tree farm. They aim to keep their prices on the low end, at $65 for a tree, and round out the experience with hot cocoa, cappuccinos, homemade cookies, candy canes, and a scavenger hunt for the kids, he said.
“We try to make it a very family event,” he added.
Nigel Manley, program director for the New Hampshire/Vermont Christmas Tree Association, said people have a lot of nostalgia wrapped up in the ritual of choosing their own tree and cutting it down, especially for those who associate fond holiday memories with the distinct scent of a real tree inside a warm home.
“People want to hold onto that,” he said.
Manley, who co-owns South Farm Christmas Trees in the little town of Bethlehem, N.H., on the northern edge of the White Mountains region, said he had initially planned to open the farm’s retail operation after Thanksgiving, but ultimately decided to do so the weekend before, as Thanksgiving fell so late this year.
The farm usually sells about 800 trees per year, Manley said. That includes 200 sponsored through the “Trees for Troops” program, which delivers donated trees to US military bases, he said. The farm also sells about 350 trees wholesale to retailers in southern New Hampshire and in Massachusetts, and the rest are sold to in-person consumers.
Manley said the typical price to claim and cut an average 7.5-foot tree can run from about $65 to $90 or higher in some areas.
“It’s like real estate,” he said. “It depends on location. If you’re close to a lot more people and you sell a lot more trees, the chances are they’ll be more expensive because that’s just the way it is.”
Early signs suggest consumer demand is “really strong” this year, though this weekend’s boom or bust for the retail business is heavily weather-dependent, Manley said. His farm sits north of Franconia Notch, so severe wintry weather can snarl traffic and block would-be customers from reaching him.
Unlike last year, when some conifer species were in short supply or even unavailable from the New Hampshire State Forest Nursery, this year’s extremely dry autumn has prompted some businesses, including Tonry Tree Farm in Hampton Falls, N.H., in the Seacoast area, to warn buyers to take extra care to keep their trees watered and a safe distance from heat sources in their homes.
The impacts of drought or excessive rainfall in any given year will vary from one farm to the next and primarily affect newly planted trees more than those with established root structures, according to Manley, who recently retired from a decades-long post with the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests.
Farmers who experience a particularly bad year for their seedlings can often “catch up” by planting additional trees in subsequent years, since those that people cut down each winter are typically five to 10 years old, Manley said. Even so, farmers here in New England and elsewhere are introducing irrigation systems and mulching techniques to improve the performance of their seedling crops as they adapt to climate change, he said.
Farm-grown trees aren’t the only option for families seeking their Yuletide fix.
The US Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service sells permits online for just $5 to those who wish to find and fell a holiday tree from certain areas in a national forest of their choice, including New Hampshire’s White Mountain National Forest or Vermont’s Green Mountain National Forest.
Manley said he has mixed feelings about consumers plucking trees from the forest. Such specimens won’t be “nicely shaped and groomed” like those that have grown under the watchful eye of a farmer who mows, fertilizes, and prunes throughout the year, he said.
Besides, many buyers appreciate the full experience that comes with stopping by a family business to select a locally grown agricultural product, he said.
For those thinking about swinging by a Christmas tree farm this season, Manley has a few important tips:
First, before heading to a farm — there are hundreds listed on the National Christmas Tree Association website — double check to confirm its hours of operation are up to date. (Nothing ruins a family road trip quite like arriving to find Walley World is closed.)
Source: National Christmas Tree Association
Second, think about any preferences you may have for a particular tree species and height, as well as any additional services you may wish to use. Many farms wrap trees to protect them for the ride home, and some use shakers to reduce the amount of loose needles and debris.
“It just depends on the farm,” Manley said.
Third, come prepared to walk around outside and actually cut down a tree. While the family at Grandpa’s Farm in Loudon said they make hand saws and sleds available, they note you may also bring your own tools — but remember that Christmas tree farms typically prohibit patrons from using power tools.
“Most insurance companies don’t want a lot of people running around with chain saws,” Manley said.
Steven Porter can be reached at steven.porter@globe.com. Follow him @reporterporter.
Crime
Elijah Allman’s arrest on March 1 was his second in New Hampshire in a matter of days.
A court hearing for Cher’s son Wednesday over allegations he broke into a New Hampshire home this month has been canceled.
Elijah Allman’s arrest on March 1 was his second in New Hampshire in a matter of days. Allman, the 49-year-old son of the iconic singer and actress, was also detained Feb. 27, accused of acting belligerently at a prestigious prep school in Concord.
It is unclear if Allman, of Malibu, California, has any connection to the home in Windham, New Hampshire. He is being held in the Rockingham County Department of Corrections, Superintendent Jonathan Banville said.
The hearing Wednesday was continued until an undetermined date after Allman got an attorney Wednesday morning. The attorney, Sarah Landres, did not respond to a request for comment.
Allman, whose father was the late singer Gregg Allman, is charged with two counts of criminal mischief, one count of burglary and a count of breach of bail for breaking into the home on March 1. Police said in a report that Allman did not have permission to be at the home and forcibly entered it.
Officials at St. Paul’s School said Allman last month identified himself as the parent of a prospective student and slipped into the dining hall as some students were leaving the building. Police responded to reports that he was disturbing people in the building.
He was charged with four misdemeanors in the school incident: two counts of simple assault, criminal trespass and criminal threatening. Allman was also charged with a violation of disorderly conduct, which is illegal in the state but not considered a crime. He was released on bail.
Allman did not respond to an email requesting comment, and a phone number for him was not working.
In December 2023, Cher filed a petition to become a temporary conservator overseeing her son’s money, saying Allman’s struggles with his mental health and addiction have left him unable to manage his assets and potentially put his life in danger.
The petition says the superstar performer’s son is entitled to regular payments from a trust fund. But “given his ongoing mental health and substance abuse issues,” she is “concerned that any funds distributed to Elijah will be immediately spent on drugs, leaving Elijah with no assets to provide for himself and putting Elijah’s life at risk,” the petition says.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Jessica Uzcategui denied the request, saying she was not convinced that a conservatorship was urgently needed. Allman was in the courtroom with his attorneys, who acknowledged his previous struggles but argued that he was in a good place, was attending meetings, getting treatment and reconciling with his estranged wife.
The son of Cher is scheduled to be in court Wednesday for a hearing over allegations he broke into a New Hampshire home earlier this month.
It was the second arrest in a matter of days for Elijah Allman, 49, of Malibu, California, who was detained Feb. 27 after allegedly acting belligerently at a prestigious prep school in New Hampshire. It was unclear if Allman had any connection to either St. Paul’s School or the home in Windham, New Hampshire.
Allman remains in the Rockingham County Department of Corrections in what is called preventive detention, Superintendent Jonathan Banville said.
Allman, whose father was the late singer Gregg Allman, faces two counts of criminal mischief, one count of burglary and a count of breach of bail for breaking into the home on March 1. Police said in a report that Allman did not have permission to be at the home and forcibly entered it .
In the incident at the prep school, Allman was charged with four misdemeanors: two counts of simple assault, criminal trespass and criminal threatening. Allman was also charged with a violation of disorderly conduct, which is illegal in the state but not considered a crime.
At about 7 p.m. that day, Concord police responded to reports that Allman was disturbing people in the dining hall of St. Paul’s School. After charging Allman, police said he was released on bail as his case works through the court system.
Allman did not respond to an email requesting comment, and a phone number for him was not working. It was unclear from the court records if Allman has an attorney.
In December 2023, Cher filed a petition to become a temporary conservator overseeing her son’s money, saying Allman struggles with mental health issues and addiction have left him unable to manage his assets and potentially put his life in danger.
The petition from the singer and actress said Elijah Allman is entitled to regular payments from a trust fund. But “given his ongoing mental health and substance abuse issues,” she is “concerned that any funds distributed to Elijah will be immediately spent on drugs, leaving Elijah with no assets to provide for himself and putting Elijah’s life at risk,” the petition says.
A few weeks later, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Jessica Uzcategui denied the request, saying she was not convinced that a conservatorship was urgently needed. Allman was in the courtroom with his his attorneys, who acknowledged his previous struggles but argued that he is in a good place now, attending meetings, getting treatment and reconciling with his previously estranged wife.
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