Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
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220 Helping Hand Getting the tree from field o car can be a bit tricky. November 22; the third opens the Friday after Thanksgiving. If you are looking for a large tree—in the 10-foot range—Brack- bill suggests shopping as early as possible, before the farm sells out. Several varieties of trees are available: Douglas and Fraser firs, as well as blue and Norway spruce. If venturing out to the fields is not in the cards for your family, the farm also sells precut trees at its Crane Neck Street loca- tion in West Newbury. All trees are recently harvested from the farm's own field . "You're going to get a fresh tree when you come to us," Brackbill says. 380 Middle Rd., Haverhill, turkeyhillfarm.com On November 1 each year, the cars start parking in the Turkey Hill Farm lot at about 7:30 in the morning, says owner David Butt. For the next hour, customers gather at the edge of the fields waiting for their signal. Then, at 8:30, a horn sounds and they're off, racing to find that perfect tree and claim it as their own. They will tag and pay for their chosen tree that day, then return after Thanksgiving to cut it down and bring it home for decorating. "They all run like crazy to look for a tree," Butt says. "People really do take to it and make fun out of it." As many as 50 percent of Turkey Hill's trees can go in that one day, he says. But the farm can also accommodate those looking for a more relaxed tree-shopping experience. There are usually good options available up until days before Christmas, Butt says, and hot and cold cider are available to customers as they peruse the selection. Perched on top of a hill, the compact farm off rs easy access to the entire selection of trees and scenic views of the surrounding landscape. "The trees kind of fl w down the hill all around, 360 degrees," Butt says. Turkey Hill, which sold its first trees in 1986, has become a long-standing tradition in some families, Butt says. Children who came to the farm in the 1980s and '90s have now grown up, and they bring their own children for tree- cutting expeditions. The trees include Fraser firs, blue spruce, Douglas firs, and Canaan fir . If you're worried about quality, fret not: Tur- key Hill's Fraser fir won best in show at the Topsfield Fair last year, and the farm's blue spruce took first place in its class. 315 South Bradford St., North Andover, smolakfarms.com/trees The tree-cutting experience at Smolak Farms starts at the "Red Shed," a tiny structure perched on the edge of the field . While parents check in and put down a deposit on a saw, kids can warm themselves by the fi e and perhaps indulge