Local farm grows Christmas trees
Green Needles Christmas Tree Farm sells Fraser firs, white pine and Norway spruce for holiday decorating
Jon Perdew of Coleman Falls, Va., works as an irrigations and landscape contractor. But for one month out of each year, Perdew takes on an entirely different role. Beginning around Thanksgiving, Perdew and his family open their Christmas tree farm to those in search of the perfect fresh-cut Christmas tree.
Christmas is here — The Perdew family sells Christmas trees out of their farm in the mountains of Coleman Falls, Va., about 30 minutes from Liberty’s campus. Photo provided
Green Needles Christmas Tree Farm is nestled high in the mountains of Coleman Falls, Va., off of US 501 N., about 30 minutes from Liberty University.
Perdew and his wife, Debbie, operate the farm with the help of some of their eight children, four of whom are Liberty University graduates. Their son Mark, 19, is currently a sophomore at Liberty. He works there every open weekend to help pay his college tuition.
“Whenever people come, I try to tell them where to go. I give them a saw so they can cut down a tree, or else I cut it down for them,” he explained.
Green Needles, a member of the Virginia Christmas Tree Growers Association, currently grows over 3000 Christmas trees that sprawl over 44 acres. Perdew said he sells around 300 Christmas trees per season.
The farm has been operated by three different families since it was first started 40 years ago. Out of those 40 years, the Perdew family has operated and lived on the farm for six, since moving there from Maryland. During the off-season, the family grows and sells other trees, shrubs and cut flowers.
The farm sells three Christmas tree varieties: White pine, Norway spruce and pre-cut Fraser firs.
“We can’t grow the Fraser Firs because they require a higher elevation to grow, so we buy those locally and bring them in,” Perdue said. “(The different types) are totally different in the style and form of the tree, and it’s really a preference. Fifty percent of the customers buy the white pines, and 50 percent buy the Fraser Firs.”
Prices of the trees range from $42 to $99, the Fraser firs being the most expensive.
The trees, according to Perdew, take anywhere from eight to 15 years to mature. This means that the trees being sold have been there longer than the family currently growing them.
Perdew pointed to a neat row of trees that towered over the rest, blending with the surrounding forest. “Those trees over there, those giant trees? Those were Christmas trees,” he explained.
In addition to Christmas trees, Green Needles also sells hand-made wreaths, which are constructed by Jon Perdew and some of his children. The family displays the wreaths on their front porch for customers to view. Perdew also sells his wreaths at the Lynchburg Farmer’s Market on Wednesdays.
Visitors to the farm can sip free hot chocolate while they comb the rows of trees, while children are also able to play on a tire swing or ride a pony. The pony rides are operated by the Perdews’ 12-year-old son.
Green Needles Christmas Tree Farm is located at 1175 Yew Tree Lane, Coleman Falls, Va. From November 25 until December 24, the farm will be open Fridays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m.
“But if someone needs to go out during the week, they just give me a call and I’ll meet them,” Perdew added.
Perdew can be contacted at 434-299-5939 or at jonperdew@aol.com.