Where to find live Christmas trees in the Athens area (for those who didn't put up a tree on Nov. 1)

Although many retailers start dropping hints about the upcoming Christmas season right after Halloween, it’s safe to say the real holiday wheeling-and-dealing commences right after Thanksgiving. And when it comes to Yuletide traditions, it’s hard to beat a live Christmas tree.

During last year’s COVID-affected holiday season, there weren’t as many Christmas trees sold as the year before (when some 26 million live trees were purchased, according to the National Christmas Tree Association), owing mainly to a slightly smaller supply. So it might not be a bad idea to get out there a little earlier this year to avoid any hint of disappointment.

Mark Batchelor knows a little about selling Christmas trees, as he sold his first one more than four decades ago while a junior at Morgan County High School working on the tree farm that he and his brother-in-law Damon Malcom now own and operate. Jack’s Creek Tree Farm is located at 2291 Price Mill Road in Bishop and could to sell up to 3,000 Christmas trees this season, Batchelor said.

“I started working here in 1979 and the man that owned the farm said he sold his first crop of trees in 1973, and I don’t know what they went for then but it’s a lot different from that now,” said Batchelor. “In 1979, we were selling trees for $15, choose-and-cut, any tree, anywhere, any size. It’s changed a bit since then.”

Perhaps the biggest change in the Christmas tree business at Jack’s Creek is the demand for Frasier Firs, which Batchelor called “the Cadillac of Christmas trees.”

“We ship in Frasier Firs from North Carolina,” he said. “We can’t grow them here. We have a lot of Frasier Fir customers and we have trees from 6 feet up to about 14 feet. We started selling (on Saturday, Nov. 20) and it’s been good. We’ve had a lot of people call and a lot of inquiries and we’ve already had a decent business so far.

“It’s been choose-and-cut as long as I’ve been here. We started getting Frasiers in the late 1980s. We thought maybe there was a market for Frasier Firs, so we started shipping them in and we’ve been doing that ever since.”

Batchelor and Malcom also grow and sell Murray Cypress, Carolina Sapphire and Red Cedar trees, which generations of families have come to the farm to cut themselves. They also will machine-dig trees and provide diversions for every member of the family.

“We used to wholesale trees, but that was years ago,” said Batchelor. “We just sell Christmas trees to families; we don’t wholesale to different brokers or buyers. Our customers are individual families that come out to get trees.

“We have farm animals they can see, we do little hay rides through the Tunnel of Lights and we’ve got Santa Claus coming on the weekends. We make a big family event out of it and I think a lot of families enjoy that. It’s a joyful time and we enjoy having people come out.”

Jack’s Creek Tree Farm is selling Christmas trees seven days a week until Friday, Dec. 17. For more information, call 706-343-1855 or visit www.jackscreekfarm.com.

Here are some other Athens-area locations where Christmas trees are available:

Cofer’s Home & Garden Showplace, 1145 Mitchell Bridge Road, Athens – The Cofer family has been selling Christmas trees for nearly a century, and for decades did business in downtown Athens (in the storefront now occupied by Zombie Donuts). There have already been two shipments of Frasier Firs to Cofer’s this season and it’s likely more shipments will be on the way. And when Christmas has come and gone, Cofer’s is a tree recycling site for Keep Athens Clean and Beautiful. For more information on Cofer’s Home & Garden Showplace, call 706-353-1519 or visit www.cofers.com.

7 G’s Farm, 2331 Old King’s Bridge Road, Nicholson – This choose-and-cut tree farm, named after seven children (Gail, Greg, Gloria, Gary, Greta, Glenn and Gina) whose family has owned the property since 1943, offers a host of hardy trees, including Leyland Cypress, Murray Cypress, Red Cedar and Naylor Blue Cypress. The farm is open seven days a week from 1 p.m. until 6 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. on weekends. For more information, call 706-202-8936 or visit www.7gsfarm.wordpress.com.

Buy A Tree Change A Life Athens, 4680 Lexington Road, Athens – Buy A Tree Change A Life has been operated by Cornerstone Church Athens for the last six years and through Christmas tree sales has raised some $200,000 for children in Athens and globally. Tree sales are set to begin on Nov. 27 and more information can be obtained by calling 706-549-0000 or visiting www.cornerstoneathens.cc/buyatree.

White’s Christmas Trees, 108 New High Shoals Road, Watkinsville – Tree buyers can call White’s at 706-769-6237 and get a quote on a tree, and the farm is also open seven days a week from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. For more information, visit https://whites-christmas-trees.business.site/.

Additionally, chain retail stores such as Lowe's, Home Depot and Kroger have precut trees available for purchase.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Where to find live Christmas trees in Athens, Ga.