News photo by Crystal Nelson Bob Szuber, manager of Huron View Tree Farms, inspects some of the greenery available on the farm at 4700 E. Sucker Creek Road in Black River.

BLACK RIVER — Huron View Tree Farms is one of the few places in northern Michigan where a family can pick out a Christmas tree the old-fashioned way.

Visitors trek through the field, cut their own Christmas tree, and take it home strapped to their car.

It takes about seven to nine years for a tree to reach the ideal size for a Christmas tree, according to Bob Szuber, who manages the tree farm owned by his father. The farm has a variety of trees, including Douglas fir, Fraser fir, and blue spruce.

“The allure of it is to come out and get a fresh tree that you know is not going to be a mess,” Szuber said. “We not only cut the tree, we shake all the dead needles out of it, and we re-bale it and make it consumer-friendly.”

Pre-cut trees are also available. In addition to the trees, visitors can purchase wreaths, garland, table centerpieces, kissing balls, gnomes, cemetery blankets, and other specialty items made out of greenery.

The family-owned farm was started in the early 1980s by Chester “Chet” Szuber and currently operates on 120 acres. The farm also sells landscape evergreens from spring through the fall and the Szubers have “dabbled” in growing you-pick strawberries and raspberries.

“Our goal was to establish a family farm — one of the few things you can do anymore with a family,” he said.

Szuber became involved with the farm when he moved from Berkley to Black River in 1984 to help manage the operation.

Production Supervisor Carrol Cantor has worked for the farm for the past 12 seasons. She says business continues to expand “overwhelmingly” and there seems to be more demand for fresh greens each year.

“When I started, we didn’t have the kissing balls, centerpieces, or the gnomes, and so those have been added,” she said, noting they also make greenery for fundraisers.

Production of those add-ons for the holiday season starts the middle of October, according to Cantor, and usually runs through mid-December. She said the farm’s employees are paid per-piece and make about 15,000 pieces each year, with much of the greenery being sold at Eastern Market in Detroit.

Cantor said it can be challenging getting the orders out because most fundraising orders have to be completed by Thanksgiving, but she enjoys the challenge. She said the employees work hard to complete the orders, load the trucks, and have orders delivered on time.

Szuber said that, while the business can be weather-dependent, the farm has between 250 and 350 customers each winter. He said a trip to the farm has become a tradition for many families in the region, who return each year for the experience.

“What’s nice is, when these families are bringing their children, they’re carrying on that tradition,” he said, noting he is now beginning to see new generations of families visiting the farm. “It’s a lot of hard work, and our customers make it all worthwhile, because they appreciate everything.”

Crystal Nelson can be reached at 989-358-5687 or cnelson@thealpenanews.com.

Huron View Tree Farm

∫ ADDRESS: 4700 E.

Sucker Creek Road, Black River

∫ HOURS: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

seven days a week until Dec. 25.

∫ INFO: For more information,

visit huronviewtreefarms.com.