EXETER TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- The first two weekends in December are usually the busiest time of year for Christmas tree farms in our area, and Pennsylvania has had a wild 2018 full of severe weather which affected some of those farms.
Whether they're cutting down trees, netting them, or transporting them by four wheeler, employees at Daniels' Christmas Tree Farm near Harding are constantly putting in work.
During the first two weekends in December, that's life on a Christmas tree farm.
"The day after Thanksgiving it took off. We were busy, and every weekend from there on out, we've been real busy. Last weekend was probably our busiest. It's starting to taper down now, but we're keeping a good pace," explained Gavin Kross, Daniels' Christmas Tree Farm.
Despite a brutally wet year that caused a few mild concerns here, Daniels' Farm lucked out. Many of the trees here grow on higher elevation, and the recent dry weather has led to a bump in customer activity and sales.
"The only thing it affected us with was taking care of them, cutting the grass. If it's too muddy, can't get in there to cut. We spray them, so the big tractor can't get in there if it's too muddy, trimming them, doesn't matter how wet the ground is, if it's raining every day, you can't be outside."
According to the Agriculture Marketing Resource Center, Pennsylvania is among the top five Christmas tree producing states every year. Families in Luzerne County say they enjoy the process of going to a tree farm and getting real, authentic trees.
"I just feel like it's more Christmasy than a fake tree. A real tree, you can get to water it and it's more Christmas," said Marissa Miller of Forty Fort.
"I think we love the smell in our house. It's just fun. It's a tradition for us," said Christine Trottini of Wyoming.
Now that these families have the main ingredient in their holiday decorations, there's lots more decorating left to do.