Non-drop shop: Christmas tree farmer prepares for seasonal rush
Farmer Guy French carries a freshly harvested Christmas tree through a Christmas tree field at Wick Farm in Colchester, Britain, November 29, 2017. REUTERS/Hannah McKay
COLCHESTER, England (Reuters) - With Christmas around the corner, Wick Farm in Colchester, eastern England, is gearing up by harvesting its crop of fir trees.
Farmer Guy French said selling directly to customers is one of the best parts of the festive season.
"You can't remember what you had last Christmas, but you always remember getting your Christmas tree," he told Reuters.
Farmer Guy French carries a freshly harvested Christmas tree through a Christmas tree field at Wick Farm in Colchester, Britain, November 29, 2017. REUTERS/Hannah McKay
"So we always make it the experience to get the Christmas tree direct from us, the farmer."
The British Christmas Tree Growers Association says around seven million trees are bought each year in Britain.
French said this year's crop of Nordmann Firs, which cater for 95 percent of Wick Farm's market base, is made up of seven-year-old trees.
Farmers load freshly harvested Christmas trees onto a trailer at Wick Farm in Colchester, Britain, November 29, 2017. REUTERS/Hannah McKay
They are popular because their soft-needles are "non-drop", though French said that unlike the more traditional Norway Spruce, they lack the classic "Christmassy" smell.
(Reporting by Gerhard Mey, writing by Helena Williams and Alistair Smout; editing by Stephen Addison)
Christmas trees ready to be harvested are seen in a field at Wick Farm in Colchester, Britain, November 29, 2017. REUTERS/Hannah McKayFarmer Guy French inspects his Christmas tree crop at Wick Farm in Colchester, Britain, November 29, 2017. REUTERS/Hannah McKayA Christmas tree is seen in a Christmas tree field at Wick Farm in Colchester, Britain, November 29, 2017. REUTERS/Hannah McKayWorkers wrap freshly harvested Christmas trees at Wick Farm in Colchester, Britain, November 29, 2017. REUTERS/Hannah McKayFarmer Guy French loads freshly harvested Christmas trees onto a trailer in a Christmas tree field at Wick Farm in Colchester, Britain, November 29, 2017. REUTERS/Hannah McKayA worker carries a freshly harvested Christmas tree at Wick Farm in Colchester, Britain, November 29, 2017. REUTERS/Hannah McKayFarmer Andrew d'Angibau carries a freshly harvested Christmas tree through a Christmas tree field at Wick Farm in Colchester, Britain, November 29, 2017. REUTERS/Hannah McKayA worker loads freshly harvested Christmas trees onto a pile ready for shipping at Wick Farm in Colchester, Britain, November 29, 2017. REUTERS/Hannah McKayChristmas trees ready to be harvested are seen in a field at Wick Farm in Colchester, Britain, November 29, 2017. REUTERS/Hannah McKayFarmer Guy French cuts down a Christmas tree in a Christmas tree field at Wick Farm in Colchester, Britain, November 29, 2017. REUTERS/Hannah McKayFreshly harvested Christmas trees wait to be shipped from Wick Farm in Colchester, Britain, November 29, 2017. REUTERS/Hannah McKayFarmer Andrew d'Angibau carries a Christmas tree through a Christmas tree field at Wick Farm in Colchester, Britain, November 29, 2017. REUTERS/Hannah McKay
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