Santa Clarita Christmas Tree Farm Weathering New Storm After Rainy Weather
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — If you've ever wondered who welcomes heavy rain like what we've seen in Southern California this week, just visit a Christmas tree farm.
For the past seven years, Mark Pittman and his family have cut their own Christmas trees at Nancy's Ranch in Santa Clarita. To the Pittmans, it's tradition.
"The tree seems more fresh, seems like it's going to last longer, smells nice," he said.
Friday's storm had little impact on the farm, where owner Nancy Roatcap has been selling cut-your-own trees for the past 24 years.
"The trees loved it, and so did I. It's perfect weather for Christmas trees," she said.
But the moisture-boost is bittersweet, since the land that Roatcap has leased since 1990 is now for sale.
"This is my last year for harvesting cut-your-own trees," she said.
Roatcap says she sells about 1,200 of the trees each year to people who drive from as far away as Bakersfield.
"It's the end of an era a lot of people say. A lot of people are grown up and now bringing their kids, and they were kids when they first started coming," she said.
The Pittmans hope to continue visiting Nancy's Ranch, even though locally grown trees will no longer be an option.
"You know we've been doing this since we were kids, and now that we can't do it, at this location anyway, it'll be different next year," Jaclyn Pittman said.
If the land is still available for lease next year, Roatcap will sell only pre-cut trees that will be shipped in from out of state.
