Yesterday was our first visit to a Christmas tree farm--family with 3 kids--so we didn't know what…read moreto expect. There are a number of farms in the Madison area and we ended up at Hann's by accident (we were in Stoughton and it was the closest one). We got there at about 3:30pm on a Saturday, on a perfect-weather day (40 degrees and clear skies) so it was very busy, but there was plenty of parking. As soon as we walked up there was a Hann's employee in a bright yellow jacket asking if we needed help. We decided to go pre-cut since the sun was about to go down, so she directed us to the barn, where about 50 firs, pines and spruces were set up, ranging in height from 5' to 9'. We liked them all so much it took us about 20 minutes to pick one, during which time two friendly Hann's employees asked if we needed help and gave us advice about needle retention and ornament weight. When I picked one, the Hann's employee put a numbered tag on it and gave me a piece of paper with the number, and explained that we could watch them fresh-cut the bottom (a preservation tactic, like trimming the bottom inch of stem off flowers after delivery) and watch the shaking/baling (wrapping the tree in twine for transport), or we could go play in the kids' area or head into the store to pay for the tree and it would be waiting for us when we came back out.
The kids watched the baling for a minute because it's kind of neat--the whole tree is sent through a circular machine that wraps it in twine in about 10 seconds, for some reason it's fun watching noisy farm equipment--then they went to play on the hay bale play structure. I went into the charming Christmas store, a barn full of freshly made wreaths, ornaments, tree stands and tree-care kits, decorations, homemade treats and hand-painted artwork. (We ended up getting a tree stand at Home Depot though, because of price/selection.) I was impressed again with how friendly the employees were, holding open the door and greeting us, asking if I had questions. After I paid, the cashier directed me to the next room of the barn toward the exit, where there was complimentary hot apple cider and a small seating area. I'm struck now by the efficiency of the operation--having people stationed in specific areas, directing customers from one station to the next, makes for a really smooth traffic flow so even a long line of people is a short wait. And the fact that all 9 of the employees I interacted with in my 1+ hours there were cheerful, friendly, helpful and knowledgeable, even at the end of what must have been a long and crowded day, was super impressive.
The hot cider was a nice treat, and the kids raved about the play area. They've asked our neighbors if we can go back to get THEIR tree because it was such a fun experience, and we didn't even do the wagon rides or watch the live wreath-making (we're planning on spending more time there next year so we can do all that). An unexpected service--after purchasing the tree, we pulled our van into the line from the parking lot to the front of the barn/store, where two Hann's employees tied the tree to the top of the van with twine. By that time the sun had gone down and everyone's fingers had to be freezing, so I appreciated it even more (plus they did a better job than I would have done if I'd tried to do it myself!). Even the restrooms were impressive--two port-a-potties, but stainless steel with manual-pump flushers and water dispensers for handwashing. Next year we'll probably do the whole package, cutting down the tree ourselves, but for this year it was a perfect experience.
