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Specialty Retail: Seasonal

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A Christmas tradition
The Red Barn Tree Shop puts family fun into the season

What started out a family tradition that turned into a hobby is now a full-fledged business for Barb and Russ Roth. And they wouldn't want it any other way.

"It's always enjoyable to see new people who have never been here before, but we love to see the old friends who come every year. What was our tradition has become their tradition and we love it," Barb said recently, just before The Red Barn Tree Shop opened for the season on Oct. 1.

Now in its 28th season, The Red Barn Tree Shop at 1811 W. Jefferson in Morton has thousands of trees ready for cutting at its several area plantations. The quaint and colorful decorations store inside the 150 year old barn is open now through Christmas Eve with about anything one can imagine for their tree or other home decorations.

It is quite an operation for a farm family that started cutting their own trees for fun a few decades ago and turned it into a business.

"My husband would take our kids out and they would cut down our family Christmas tree. One year they came back and my husband said, 'wouldn't it be fun to grow our own Christmas trees?' It then became, 'if we're going to grow them, we might as well grow them for others to enjoy, too.' That's how we got started," Barb said. "We've grown trees and our business every year since."

The family still farms crops as its livelihood, but the Christmas tree and decoration business is what Barb calls the fun part of the family business.

The Red Barn shop, which retains its original beams and barn siding, came about because Barb wasn't sure just having trees would be enough. "I felt we had to have something else for people to come here for, so that's why we started the decorations business," she said. "The Red Barn is the fun part of it, but people do come in for both."

So after several years of letting the first crop of trees grow enough to be cut down, the business opened. "We planned years in advance for this, but we were ready. It was kind of slow going at first, but it didn't take long before people heard about us and business grew," Barb said.

"That first year we only sold maybe 200 trees for the entire season. Now we sell that many in a day, usually," she added.

While the store is open Oct. 1 through Dec. 24 (9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. on Sundays after Thanksgiving), the tree cutting season is basically Thanksgiving through Christmas Eve. That's because even with watering, the trees will dry out.

"We do get people who want trees for their family gathering at Thanksgiving or even the weekend before and we will accommodate them. But we also have those who wait until Christmas Eve because of family tradition. That's why we are open until noon on Christmas Eve," Barb said.

The Roths grow white pines, Scotch pines and a variety of firs. The pines have firmer branches for decorating, but the firs hold their needles longer, which can mean less clean-up at the end of the holiday season.

They make the wreaths they sell as well as centerpieces and the shop will also flock trees using a cellulose (water and paper) substance that is not messy and is safe for pets, Barb said.

The elaborate decorations on the trees inside the barn, which Barb and her assistant Carol begin decorating each August, are there to give customers ideas for decorating their own. Barb goes on buying trips to find new decorations and other gift items that can be used to complement the trees.

"We try to have each tree tell a story. For example, the tree we call 'Coming Home' has different decorations that can mean something different to every person but is about loved ones coming home for the holidays," she said while showing the tree that includes a window frame as its topper.

"We try to have something for different tastes, from elegant to earthy," she added.

The decorated trees in the barn are not for sale themselves, however. "One man asked us several years ago to price one of our trees that we decorated. By the time we added it all up, with all the decorations, he couldn't believe how expensive it was. That's why we say the trees are there to give ideas," Barb said.

The decorations spread throughout the double-lofted barn that the Roths moved to its West Jefferson Street location. "There is something for everybody," she said.

Indeed, from simple ornaments to elaborate pieces for trees, as well as candles, pictures, Nativity scenes for table tops or mantels and many other items, The Red Barn probably has what you're looking for to make your own home welcoming for the holidays.

The Red Barn Tree Shop
1811 W. Jefferson, Morton
(309) 266-5982
www.redbarntreeshop.com
Hours: Open Oct. 1 through Dec. 24 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. After Thanksgiving open Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m.

Offers wide variety of Christmas decorations that can be placed on any tree, including the varieties of pines and firs that can be purchased or cut at one of the Red Barn's plantations.

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