meriden

Christmas Tree Farm in Meriden Gears Up for Busy Shopping Weekend

Early December means preparing for the holidays, especially for Christmas tree farms in Connecticut.

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The first weekend in December is typically one of the busiest for Kogut’s Hemlock Hill Tree Farm in Meriden.  

The family-owned farm has grown and sold Christmas trees for decades in Connecticut.

For more than 30 years, the Kogut family owned 90 acres in Somers and they've spent the past five years operating their five-acre farm right behind their home in Meriden.

"We were getting calls already in the middle of November,” said the farm’s co-owner Kathy Kogut. 

Kogut used to be the executive director of the Connecticut Christmas Tree Growers Association. Today she serves as the president of the board, dedicated to growing and selling quality trees across Connecticut. 

Kogut said while other farms might be feeling the effects of climate change or inflation, she is not experiencing a shortage of trees.

"I know everybody's expenses went up for fertilizer and fuel and that kind of stuff, but hopefully most farms are keeping their prices down where they were so people can get a quality tree at a reasonable price,” said Kogut. 

Kogut’s son has been involved in the family farm since he was 16 years old.  

"I do every operation possible. Pricing, displaying, carrying to cars, tying to cars, trimming the bottom,” said BJ Kogut. 

On Friday, he helped a family from Wallingford find a freshly cut 10-footer. 

"This is our third or fourth year coming here, and we come because the trees are absolutely gorgeous,” said Karen Ripa of Wallingford. 

The farm plans to sell all 1,500 trees. Once they are gone, the farm will be closed for the season. 

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