THE CHRISTMAS TREE SEARCH

by Ashlee Mortimer, Mortimer Farms
Growing up on a ranch is something I wouldn’t trade for anything. I think a lot about why this is — why I am so in love with the life that I am able to have. Many reasons come to mind — my love for the land, my love for growing crops, my love for cattle and my love for farming and ranching, which has grown and flourished.
Before my family opened Mortimer Farms, we owned and operated a nursery in Prescott and a cattle ranch in Dewey — both still huge parts of our lives. All four of us kids — Hayden, Kayla, Kolten and I — were greatly involved in both businesses. I learned to drive before I could reach the pedals. I learned to care for cattle and ride horses before I could read. I was taught every plant name and even a few facts about each at a very young age.
It seems that no matter the topic, I have some sort of story to connect it to my upbringing and the farm, ranch or nursery. Christmas is no different!
Growing up, we had a Christmas tree family tradition. We would all bundle up in our warmest clothes right before sunset and pile on a Mule. The Mule was able to fit three adults, so how we ever managed to get all six of us and all the dogs in the Mule still is a mystery to me. All I know is the sibling fights that usually go, “Mom, he’s touching me,” “Dad, she’s breathing on me,” or even, “They are on my side of the line,” were nonexistent. It was so dang cold that touching, breathing and smashing were encouraged, and the only way to stay warm. We rode in the Mule, smashed tighter than sardines in search of the most perfect Christmas tree. It is these times that seem to resonate in my being! It is times like these that I look back on fondly, when I think of my awesome childhood and my family that I love ever so much!
This tradition we had of searching for our Christmas tree, which would almost always be centimeters away from being too large to stand in our home, is a tradition that we wish to pass on to families in our community.
Mortimer Farms has just the family experience and tradition for you and your family — the most perfect Christmas tree picking-out time that can ever be had. A time filled with farm-fresh Christmas trees, hot coco, baked goods, heavenly music, fire pits, s’mores, and wholesome family fun! Come see us at #MortimerFarms and #MortimerNursery! Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays to you and your gang!
MortimerFarmsAZ.com – MortimerNursery.com beyondthebarbwire.blogspot.com