Dogs Have Fun Too!

Now that we're two weekends down for the 2008 season we just want to say a big giant THANK YOU to our amazing customers. We've had so much fun with those of you that have made it out to the farm so far.

But it's not just people that have fun out at the farm - the dogs have fun too! That's right - dogs are welcome at Evergreen Farms (as long as they're on a leash).

Here is a dog that came out this year and could careless about the trees - he was all about the teatherball!!!

$5 Coupon to World Market

Don't forget to pick up your World Market coupon when you purchase your tree this year. And if you're on Santa's "good" list...we might give you two coupons!

Countdown Christmas with the Kids

Here is a little Christmas gift from Evergreen Farms to you - and your kids (okay so it's not really a gift, we just heard about it and think it's really cool and want you to know about it too).

www.kidthing.com has 25 fun, interactive games to help countdown Christmas. Best part? It's FREE! Click here to learn more about it and to download the media player.

Once you download the software you can go to the store to retreive the free games. It's a great way to keep the kids entertained during the holidays - especially on those long trips!

Farm in the News

The farm was on the news again this week. This is a great story that was on the KEYE Evening News last night:

Click here for video.

Click here for story.

Ronald McDonald Love

This isn't Christmas tree related but we love supporting the Ronald McDonald House and we love cake - so how can we not talk about it? Click here to read the great article that was in the Statesman last week.

P.S. - For the second year in a row, we will be donating some Christmas trees for the Austin Ronald McDonald House to enjoy this holiday season. Look for more info about that coming up.

Texas Capitol Ornament

The state Capitol recently released the 2008 Capitol Ornament. This year's ornament replicates the central rotunda's terrazzo floor design with the six seals of the countries whose flags have flown over Texas. The rotunda's terrazzo flooring was installed throughout the first level of the Capitol in 1936, in celebration of the 1936 Texas Centennial.

Our gift shop will have this year's ornament on sale for $18 (same price as the Capitol gift shop). Proceeds from sales fund educational programs and preservation efforts of the Texas Capitol. Our gift shop also has several ornaments from previous years if you're missing one as part of your collection.

Happy Halloween

Hope everyone had a great (and safe) halloween. We want to thank everyone for coming out to the farm this year for Pumpkin Hunt. We had a great time and hope you did too.

In the meantime, we'll end this year's Pumpkin/Halloween season with a photo of the cutest monkey to ever come to the farm (on Monkey Rd). Of course we might be biased since he is related to us...

KEYE story

CLICK HERE for a link to the KEYE story from today about pumpkins and the farm.

Look for us on TV

KEYE is scheduled to come out to the farm on Tuesday morning for live shots during their morning show. They are going to talk about pumpkins growing in Texas and there should even be a representative from the Texas Department of Agriculture out here to talk to them.

So Tuesday morning while you're getting ready for work, eating breakfast or getting the kids ready for the day - turn on the TV and learn about pumpkins.

The Fire Truck

We had a great first Pumpkin Hunt weekend out on the farm. The new addition to the farm - our fire truck - was a huge hit. The kids love seeing the truck, hearing the siren and then getting to actually ride on it.

It runs about every 30 minutes, so there's plenty of opportunities for you to ride the fire truck when you come out. Hope to see you this weekend - it should be great weather to be out in the fresh air!

Halfway through the ride we stop and show how the fire hose works. The trees love the extra watering!

All the kids that ride the truck get a fire hat to take home.

Pumpkin Hunt begins!

Now that the weather is cooling off, it's the perfect time to get the family outside. This weekend we open the farm up so families can experience a working Christmas tree farm, run around in the fresh air of the country, pick pumpkins out of the field, play pumpkin games, ride on a real fire truck and more.

Here are some details:

8th Annual Great Pumpkin Hunt

What is it? The Great Pumpkin Hunt is a family-friendly event where children of all ages can enjoy fall activities, like picking out a pumpkin from the field. All activities are ongoing throughout the day, allowing families to customize their experience at the farm. Pumpkins of all sizes are available for purchase.

The premier event, the Pumpkin Hunt, includes a wagon ride into the Christmas tree fields where mini pumpkins are hidden in the trees. Then come back to the pavilion, where tables are set up for free pumpkin painting.

New this year is the debut of the Evergreen Farms Fire Truck. The authentic pumper fire truck is available for rides around the farm ($4/person). Depending on conditions, fire fighting demonstrations are shown on the ride.


What is the cost?
Admission is free.

Certain activities cost $2-4 per ticket.

What activities are there?
These activities are free: Wagon ride around the farm, toddler play area, pumpkin recipes, pumpkin decorating after purchase of pumpkin, bean bag toss, petting zoo, pictures with the pumpkins and shopping in the Christmas Shoppe.

These activities are $2 per ticket: Pumpkin Hunt, Swing It and Ring It Game, Pumpkin Launcher, Pumpkin Maze, Pumpkin Slide, Pumpkin Train Ride, Pumpkin Golf and the new Pumpkin Pond.

This activity is $4 per person: The Evergreen Farms Fire Truck includes ride around the farm, siren and fire fighting demonstrations.

When are we open?
Last three weekends in October (October 11-12, 18-19, 25-26)
Saturdays from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Sundays from 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Where are we located?
242 Monkey Road
Elgin, TX 78621
Click here for directions.

PUMPKINS!

The 8th Annual Great Pumpkin Hunt is only 2 weeks away and the pumpkins are looking great!

Go into the field and pick your pumpkin straight from the pumpkin patch. The pumpkins in the field this year have a wide variety of colors and shapes - so there's bound to be one just right for you.

We also have pre-picked pumpkins and gourds of various sizes and shapes for sale. Prices are based off the weight of the pumpkin.

Once you've picked your pumpkin, make sure to participate in the other fun activities going on around the farm. Click here for all the details.

Staying busy year round

We're gearing back up for another fall on the farm. It's always busy this time of year with the Pumpkin Hunt in October and Christmas tree season during the holidays. But truth be told, we're working on the farm all year round. Here are some of the things we do during the off season:

1. In January we plant new seedlings in the fields. We plant a new tree seedling for each tree that was cut during the holiday season - and often plant more than were cut down the previous year. These trees will take 4-6 years to grow until they're ready for your family again.
2. In the spring we offer school tours on Texas History. Not only was the former town of Hogeye located on parts of our farm, but the Chisolm Trail was nearby. We love to share the history of this land with students learning about the history of this great state.
3. We spend many long hours in our garden growing vegetables and fruits for our family to eat.
4. We travel around Texas and the country attending conferences on real Christmas trees. We meet with other growers to discuss new farming techniques, marketing ideas, ways to improve the farm and more. We love hearing new ideas and making the farm the best experience for your family.
5. We do a lot of mowing! With over 40 acres, you can imagine how much grass needs to be mowed. Thank goodness we have riding lawnmowers!
6. We sheer the trees twice a year. This involves going to each tree and trimming the limbs to help retain the traditional shape of the Christmas tree.
7. We irrigate the trees. During hot summers like we've experienced this year, it's important that the trees get enough water.
8. We play disc golf (okay - our son Chris plays disc golf). Did you know there was a disc golf course here on the farm? You're more than welcome to come play, just make sure you call us first. The 9-hole course will be set up for your enjoyment during the Pumpkin Hunt - make sure to check it out.
9. We make small improvements - look for the updated model train by the gift shoppe when you visit this fall.
10. We relax and enjoy the beauty of the farm and all our hard work.