Here at the Swift House Inn we love to support our local businesses. Alongside our blog post series featuring the local purveyors we purchase our food products from, we will also be running a blog post series featuring the local businesses that we love. Whether you are a local or a visitor, these are great places to visit before you spend a relaxing night at the Swift House Inn and/or eat dinner at Jessica’s Restaurant.
This week’s local business is a great place to purchase all of your holiday decoration needs. The Werner Christmas Tree Farm, located on 429 Painter Road in Middlebury, sells Christmas trees, wreaths, garlands, and a variety of maple syrup and honey products. As is the case with a lot of our great local businesses, the Tree Farm is truly a family affair. Each Werner has a role in the farm when they aren’t working their day jobs. David focuses on shearing, directing the planting, and handling the buying and selling. Cheryl specializes in making wreaths, centerpieces, and other similar products, and manages the farms taxing and accounting. Amanda manages social media, wreath and centerpiece design, and customer service. Cheryl and Amanda manage the four beehives and are on their eighth year of producing honey. Visit their website to learn more about the members of the Werner family and their jobs on and off the farm.
The farm has pre-cut trees as well as cut your own trees. Start the holiday season off with a fun day of picking out the perfect tree, cutting it yourself, and then stopping by the Christmas Shop for complimentary cookies and hot cocoa (cookies and cocoa only available on weekends). All cut your own trees and pre-cut trees between five feet and eight and a half feet are $42.00 plus tax. Pre-cut trees below five feet are marked lower (starting at $18.00 plus tax). Pre-cut trees taller than eight and a half feet are marked higher (starting at $50.00 plust tax). The farm opens the Friday after Thanksgiving and is open Tuesday through Friday noon to 5:00 pm, weekends 10:00 am to 5:00 pm (fields close at 4:00 pm all days), and is closed on Mondays. All racks are stocked with fresh trees cut from one of three fields the farm maintains in Lincoln, or from other Vermont growers.
After you’ve found your perfect Christmas tree, stop into the Christmas Shop and purchase one of their wreaths made from fresh Vermont greens, including Balsam Fir, Veitch Fir, Cedar, White Pine, and Juniper. Three sizes of door wreaths and four sizes of wall wreaths are available, ranging from 18 to 72 inches in diameter. Available in natural, with a large hand-made bow, or decorated with pine cones, berries, and other decorations. Along with wreaths, kissing balls, garland, centerpieces with candle fixtures, door swags, and mailbox saddles, are also available for purchase. In December in the Christmas Shop, and in March in the sugaring house, check out Vermont maple syrup products made and packaged right on the farm: chocolate maple syrup, maple cream, and maple candy. Visitors are also welcome during sugaring season, just call ahead (802-388-7781) or email (wernertreefarm@yahoo.com). Last but not least, ask the Werners to turn on their G scale model train and visit the ponies that live next to the Christmas Shop.
Have someone special you want to send one of their great products to? They can ship wreaths, kissing balls, maple syrup, and honey. Ask them about arranging shipping for troops overseas.
After your day is done, stop into the Swift House Inn to enjoy a drink in front of the fireplace or a candlelit dinner for two.
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