Christmas Tree Farm Odyssey, Part II: Petaluma

If you read our part one of our exploration of Christmas tree farms in the North Bay, you'd know that you don't have to trek all the way out to the wilds of Sebastopol just to chop down your own tree. There are a handful of Christmas tree farms in Petaluma, the Sonoma County town closest to the Marin County line. We managed to get to two of them: Larsen's Christmas Tree Farm and Liberty Christmas Tree Farm. Both are located in the rural area to the northwest of Petaluma proper. We wanted to hit Little Hills Christmas Tree Farm, located on Chapman Lane off of Western Avenue, but we never made it, unfortunately.

Larsen's Christmas Tree Farm

Larsen's was the first Petaluma Christmas tree farm we visited, being the closest one to downtown Petaluma. It's located on Marshall Avenue between Skillman Lane and Magnolia Avenue, and was super-busy, probably owing to the fact that it's so easy to get to, and we even had a difficult time getting a parking space. Larsen's is a pretty big place, and everyone there seemed to be having a really good time. They've got an extensive selection of trees, and a charming place with little bridges crossing a (currently dry) stream running through the property, and a shed offering Christmas tree stands and accessories, free coffee, and hot cider and baked goods offered by local 4H kids. We got a cup of the cider and it was pretty good.

Most of the cut-it-yourself trees at Larsen's were Monterey Pines, which really aren't are favorite variety of Christmas tree. They did have a few redwoods, cypress, and Douglas Firs growing, too, as well as a pretty large selection of pre-cut Noble Firs and Douglas Firs. Those pre-cut trees were varyingly priced, but all the you-cut ones were just $38.28, which seems like a pretty good deal, especially when most of the Sebastopol farms were charging $5–$8 a foot for similar trees. Tree-shaking and netting services were available for an extra fee. Larsen's Christmas Tree Farm is open on Fridays from 10 am to dusk and weekends from 9 am to dusk. More information: (707) 762-6317.

Liberty Christmas Tree Farm

On the way out of Larsen's, there was a sign promoting Liberty Tree Farm. Are they owned by the same family, as with the Sebastopol Christmas tree farms we visited? Perhaps someone who knows more than us about this can fill us in. Anyhow, we followed the sign and subsequent series of signs directing us to Liberty Christmas Tree Farm, which is located a considerable distance north of Larsen's. Liberty seems to be a somewhat newer operation, and, like Larsen's, offers primarily Monterey Pines as cut-it-yourself trees, although we saw plenty of pre-cut Douglas and Noble Firs.

One of the highlights of the visit were the farm animals that kids could visit and pet: sheep, a goat, and a calf. There was also a small red shed that housed some beautiful decorated Christmas trees, all of the ornaments on which were for sale. They also had wreaths and tree stands and an urn with free hot cider. Everyone here was really nice and tried hard to make sure customers had a good time. The usual shaking and netting services were available here as well. Like Larsen's, the cut-it-yourself trees were priced at a flat $39.99 for Montery Pines and Sierra Redwoods, and $45.99 for Douglas Firs. Pre-cut Noble Firs were priced individually. They're open weekdays from 10 am to 5 pm and weekends from 9 am to 5 pm. More information: www.libertychristmastreefarm.com or (707) 490-6011.

Getting There

To get to Larsen's and Liberty Christmas tree farms, head north on US 101, and take the Penngrove exit. Head west over the freeway onto Petaluma Boulevard North, and follow it to Skillman Lane. Turn right on Skillman. To get to Larsen's Christmas Tree Farm, head west on Skillman, then turn left on Marshall Avenue. Follow Marshall south; Larsen's will be on your right. There are plenty of signs directing you to Larsen's from the moment you hit Petaluma Boulevard, so it's pretty easy to find. To reach Liberty Christmas Tree Farm, follow Skillman Lane west all the way to Liberty Road. Head north on Liberty until you reach Liberty Christmas Tree Farm, which will be on your right. It's across from the small Liberty Cemetery.