Recycle Your Tree

Now that the holidays are winding down, you might be wondering what to do with your Christmas tree. Did you know that real Christmas trees are biodegradable? They can be recycled, turned into mulch and used around your garden. So don't just throw your tree out with the trash. Let your tree help the Earth long after you're done enjoying it during the Christmas season.

Here are a few links we've found about Christmas tree recycling in your area. Several of them even offer a free seedling will supplies last!

Austin

Cedar Park

Elgin - Drop your tree off at the Park and Ride on North Hwy 95 (at Memorial Park/baseball fields) now through January 7

Pflugerville

Round Rock

Williamson County Landfill

Christmas Tree Season

We're so excited that the Christmas tree season has started. Our first two days have been wonderful and we've had hundreds of happy families visit the farm.

We can't wait to have you come out to the farm to pick your own Christmas tree too. We've heard a few questions over and over and thought we'd address them here:

1. You can bring your dog as long as they're on a leash.

2. Here are directions to the farm.

3. We provide everything you need to cut down your tree - from a saw to a stick to measure your tree to twine to tie it to your vehicle.

4. Complimentary marshmallow roasting, pine cone painting, apple cider and coffee is ONLY on the weekends.

5. We are open every day until Christmas eve. Weekends from 9 until dark and Weekdays from noon until dark.

6. Oh, and dark is around 5:30 p.m. so make sure you get here before 6 p.m. so you have enough time to pick out your tree in the field.

If you have any other questions - don't hesitate to call us at 281-4833.

Can't wait to see you out here!

Trees for Troops

Happy Veterans Day to all veterans that have or are currently serving our country. In honor of Veterans Day today, we'd like to make sure you know about our Trees for Troops program. Trees for Troops is a national program organized by the nonprofit ChristmasSPIRITFoundation that provides real Christmas trees to troops around the USA and overseas.

While our farm will not be providing trees this year, we will be collecting money to help pay for the program. Every penny you donate goes directly to the program. There are two ways you can donate while you're at our farm:

1. You can find a donation jar in the gift shop when you check out.

2. You can donate $1 to color a Christmas tree and write a message out to the troops, which will be delivered to the troops. We will have more information about this soon.

Make sure to follow @Trees4Troops on Twitter for updated information on the Trees for Troops program throughout the season.

Rockin' Pumpkin Finale

This weekend we are closing out our 9th season of the Pumpkin Hunt. We're excited to finish this season with a bang - or a band! The Soulphonics and Patty Finney to be exact.Come out on Sunday to the Rockin' Pumpkin Finale for live music, fall games, wagon rides and a great cause. Half of the proceeds of ticket sales on Sunday will benefit the Dell Children's Hospital. It's free admission and you can pick and choose which fall games you want to play ($2 a ticket).

Schedule:*

1 p.m. - Farm opens and fall games begin

2 p.m. - The Soulphonics play

3 p.m. - Patty Finney plays

5 p.m. - Pumpkin Hunt officially ends for 2009

* - Don't forget it's day light savings. So make sure to set your clocks back an hour!

Pumpkin Dog Treats

We love dogs at Evergreen Farms (as long as they're on a leash). And dogs love being out at the farm too. The fresh air, all the new smells and of course getting to visit with the donkey and goats. It's a fun, yet exhausting time for them. So after they leave the farm dog tired, go home and make them some pumpkin doggie treats! Perfect for this time of year. One of our favorite food blogs - Delish - recently posted this recipe:

Pumpkin Dog Treats

1 1/2 cup wheat flour

1 cup pumpkin puree

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Mix well. Scoop a teaspoon of dough and roll into a ball. If dough is too sticky, sprinkle with a little flour. Place balls on baking sheet and press flat with fork, criss-crossing horizontally and vertically until cookies are uniform in thickness. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom. Let cool competely before giving to your dog.

Yields about 5 dozen 1 inch treats.

Our Hard Work is Worth It

After months of preparations to get the farm ready for the Pumpkin Hunt, it's nice to finally get to enjoy the fruits of our labor. The families this past weekend got to experience the farm with some of the best weather we've ever had during Pumpkin Hunt. We're hoping it's the same weather this coming weekend, too!

Oh my gourd!

We may not have gigantic pumpkins that weights 1725 lbs like this couple in Ohio...but we do have plenty of pumpkins ready for your picking. The Pumpkin Hunt begins this Saturday and the weather is supposed to be beautiful. Come out and enjoy the fresh air of the country, explore the farm with your family and pick up a pumpkin or two.

Pumpkins!

Here we are in the month of October. That means only one thing around here - pumpkins!

We're so excited about this year's Pumpkin Hunt and the Rockin' Pumpkin Finale on November 1. We'll have plenty of pumpkins for pictures, hunting, picking from the field, painting and to take home.

With free admission and the ability to pick and choose which events you want to participate in (ranging in price from $2-4), this is an affordable family-friendly event.

Click here for more details.

We can't wait to see you out on the farm this year!

How we grow our trees

It's been raining! Finally! But how do we keep the trees healthy and growing even when it isn't raining and we're in a drought?

Well, we made a video to show how we take care of our trees. And if you haven't already - make sure you check out our planting video from earlier this summer.

Find us online

We're all over the Internet these days. Make sure to follow @evergreenfarms on Twitter and become our friend on Facebook at facebook.com/evergreenfarms.

Tree Planting

We're creating educational videos here at Evergreeen Farms that show how the trees grow on the farm. Here is a look at the first video - planting the tree seedlings.