Staff photo / R. Michael Semple The Ladd family from Hubbard finds its Christmas tree at Pieton’s 7P Trees — Christmas Tree Farm. From left are Cristina Ladd, JoAnna Ladd, 18, Lauren Ladd, 22, and Bryan Ladd.

HUBBARD — Bryan Ladd, his wife, Cristina, and daughters, Lauren and JoAnna, made the trek into the back of Pieton’s 7P Trees – Christmas Tree Farm through the leftover snow and frigid cold to find their perfect tree.

Their motivation? Upholding tradition.

“Every year, we try to find a live tree; it was kind of a tradition. I used to pull the kids with me when they were little,” said Bryan, a Hubbard resident. “Of course, there was no snow back then — it was pretty tough.”

“It’s something that we did when we were little, it’s something her (Christina) family did when she was little and something we enjoy. (The) One thing we kind of always get together for the holidays to get in spirit.”

Those repeat customers are something Mike Pieton, owner of Pieton’s 7P Trees – Christmas Tree Farm, knows a thing or two about — taking over the business after his parents, Marge and John, established it nearly 50 years ago.

Pieton, who spent 19 of his 31 active police years as a Hubbard city officer, said tree planting season typically begins in spring, but it can come with its own challenges.

“If you remember last spring, we had like, three, four weeks of rain and then we went into three, four weeks of a drought,” Pieton said. “So I lost probably 300 trees that were anywhere from two to three to four feet tall. I’m trying to reestablish my field after COVID.”

Pieton said in past years, he would purchase 500 to 1000 trees — counting how many were out in the field and purchasing an approximate number.

He said that’s changed, with his business model following other tree farms in going from “u-cut” farm — handing customers a saw, a sled and a kneeling pad — to a “fresh-cut” farm.

“We all buy these trees together from North Carolina; they’re fresh cut, so we get them, we take all the fresh cuts, pound poles in the ground, left and right of my gingerbread house,” Pieton said. “We create a pine tree-lighted lot field, which is new this year.”

Pieton said they’re open until 8 p.m. Mondays and Fridays to help customers who work, normally closing at 5 p.m. because of the dark.

Even on the days they close at 5 p.m., Pieton said they aren’t really closed because the snow makes it lighter outside and they can’t let customers on the field after dark — naming potential liabilities such as stumps, roots and animal holes.

Even with most shoppers skipping Thanksgiving and finding themselves immediately in the Christmas spirit, Pieton said the busiest day for him — and most tree farms — is Black Friday, when he officially opens.

Pieton said they held a “soft opening” the weekend prior and offered deals, as they were still getting set up, preparing pine arrangements and ornaments, which are also available for sale at the farm.

He said he’s made a few wreaths from fresh pine earlier this week, letting people know they’re fresh because it’s one of the upsides of being a smaller business compared to Home Depot and Lowe’s, which get their wreaths the first week of November.

“Most people start decorating around Thanksgiving-ish. I was at Home Depot the other day – there are twenty-some dollar wreaths at $5.88,” Pieton said. “They’re blowing them out at Home Depot because the needles are falling off, the needles are drying out.”

“The smaller the tree farm, the fresher the product,” Pieton added.

As for what happens to his trees that don’t sell, Pieton said they get put to use, recalling 2024, when he had 80 trees left over.

“I reached out to the Hubbard High School; I know two of the teachers there who run the food pantry. I said, ‘If your students would like to come out, I’ll give you these 80 trees,'” Pieton said. “They were here last week, collecting money for it (the pantry). I gave them all of my trees, and for the food pantry, they sold those trees.”

Pieton said the pantry ended up amassing $400 and a bushel of food donations on Christmas Eve, between some residents giving $5 and others giving $50 for the trees.

Pieton said the students will be coming earlier this year to collect cash and food donations and sell hot cocoa to raise funds for the pantry at a Visit with Santa event at the farm, noon to 3 p.m. Sunday.

Pieton also encourages customers to return their trees after Christmas, as they end up getting reused for animals.

“I have a couple of people who have goats, they feed them to their goats,” Pieton said. “A couple of people have lakes; they drop them in their lakes on cinderblocks as fish habitats.”

Pieton said the farm’s size is the best part of opening every year, as the customers become more than just that for him, like Bryan.

“A lot of them aren’t just customers, they’re friends now. They’ve been coming here for years; you know their kids’ names, they know your name,” Pieton said. “People come out here, they’re dating; the next year, they’re engaged. They come out a year or two later, they’re expecting.”