Pre-cut or cut-your-own, tree farms across Erie County are bustling with families looking for that perfect addition to their Christmas decorations. Time Warner Cable News reporter Rebecca Vogt visited Jurek Plantation in Clarence for a glimpse into this holiday tradition.
CLARENCE, N.Y. -- Jack Moses was on a hunt. Except it wasn't for big game, but rather something more green. And prickly.
"Our kids said, 'Well now that we have a big house and a big ceiling we have to get the biggest tree they have,'" said Moses.
He's not alone. Dozens of families flocked to Jurek Plantation Saturday morning to find a pine, spruce, or fir that fit their fancy for Christmas. Folks on the farm say this is one of the busiest weekends, but it wasn't always so.
"Typically people would wait until pretty deep into December. In fact, we used to be open on Christmas Eve," said Steve Jurek. "Now, Thanksgiving is busy, and we're even open the week before because of the longevity of the trees."
Not only is longevity a factor in getting a real tree, but also the fun in the DIY. Patrick Talmon of Tonawanda says his family has gone back and forth between pre-cut trees and artificial ones, but is now sold on cutting their own.
"Just the experience of taking the family out, having the tree, cutting it down, dragging it out... The area that we're in right now, Jurek's, just a great place and we like to come here," said Talmon.
"We love to get out in the woods and do things together in nature whenever we can. This is close to home and it's just a good experience," Moses said.
Jurek explained while its difficult for many to carve out time to do things like this, spending a few hours out on a tree farm gives people something a fake tree cannot -- a chance to take a deep breath, enjoy the outdoors, and keep the little guys going.
"If people support these types of businesses, you don't get houses planted here. You get Christmas trees," said Jurek.