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Christmas Tree Day gives these farmers something to celebrate

There are about 10 times as many Christmas trees on Fred Somerville’s farm as there are in Alliston, Ont., where it is located.

Ryan Tyce, the director of operations at Somerville Nurseries, looks how many would imagine a lumberjack would; bearded, wearing a red and black flannel and washed out jeans, he takes his chainsaw to a tree, trimming off the bottom of the trunk.

On Somerville’s 3,000 acres of farmland, young saplings just inches tall neighbour matured seven-foot trees to be sent to living rooms across Canada in time for Christmas.

“We plant about 200,000 trees a year, and we harvest about 150,000 or 160,000, so we’re planting more than we cut,” said Somerville, who added that some trees are not good enough to get to market.
Christmas tree farmers in Ontario are honoured on the first Saturday of each December, which is “Provincial Christmas Tree Day,” something Somerville pushed for with other Ontario Christmas tree farmers.

“It gives us a day for our industry to hang our hat on,” said Somerville. “I know the Americans have a whole week that they call Christmas Tree Week, so it doesn’t hurt to have a day here.”

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