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O Christmas Tree: Families search for perfect tree
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Neighbors | Ashley Luthern Hailey Gianfrancesco (12) and her brother Sammy Gianfrancesco (9), both of Boardman, proudly display their family's Christmas tree, an Austrian pine from Pioneer Trails Tree Farm in Poland.
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Neighbors | Ashley Luthern Sammy Gianfrancesco (9) of Boardman watches his dad cut down the family Christmas tree at Pioneer Trails Tree Farm on Dec. 12.
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Neighbors | Ashley Luthern Families travel by horse drawn wagon in search in of the perfect Christmas tree at Pioneer Trails Tree Farm. The farm closes for the season at 6 p.m. Tuesday.
By ASHLEY LUTHERN
aluthern@vindy.com
As Christmas draws closer, local families are on the hunt for the perfect Christmas tree.
Sammy Gianfranscesco, 9, of Boardman wanted a white pine, but his sister Hailey, 12, wanted an Austrian pine.
“We all want something different,” Sammy said.
After the family’s artificial tree got too old to use three years ago, the Gianfrancescos have been going to Pioneer Trails Tree Farm for their Christmas trees.
“The kids look forward to this, but they’re always at odds about which tree to get,” said Rhonda Gianfranscesco, the children’s mother.
People will drive up to two hours to find a certain tree, said Mary Jan Perdulla, whose family owns Pioneer Trails Tree Farm on U.S. 224 in Poland.
“It’s not like going to the mall, because each tree farm has its own attributes,” she said, adding that Pioneer customers usually come from northeast Ohio and western Pennsylvania.
Even though many families are cutting back this holiday season, Perdulla said that sales so far have been brisk and even up a little bit from last year.
“Our trees are all one price, which makes it easier on families,” she said. “You know what you’re going to get with $40, wagon rides, a saw, and baling and shaking the tree.”
Although price many play a part, many families say it’s tradition that keeps them coming back.
“We’re big traditionalists. We always have a live tree,” said Tammi Redmond of Ellwood City, Pa., whose family has come out to the farm for four years.
Her son Shawn, 6, said he enjoys all of his Christmas traditions, including making cut-out sugar cookies.
With 10 varieties of trees, making a choice can be difficult, said Frank Lellio of Lowellville, who was with his wife, Ursula, and four daughters, Francesca, Julianna, Marissa and Gianna.
“Gianna said a Norway spruce, so we’ll look at that, and we’ll also consider the fraser fir,” he said.
As for the Gianfranscesco family, Sammy and Hailey finally agreed on the Austrian Pine.
“It’s soft and full,” Sammy said.
Pioneer Trails Tree Farm’s season ends at 6 p.m. Tuesday. For more information call 330-757-0884. Other local farms include Stepuk Tree Farm on Washingtonville Road in Canfield, 330-533-3770, and D’Apolito’s Tree Farm on Western Reserve Road in Poland, 330-758-5114.