Wintergreen Christmas Tree Farm preserved

LAFAYETTE — The Land Conservancy of New Jersey, in partnership with Sussex County and the Allison Family, has preserved the Wintergreen Christmas Tree Farm, a 130-acre property in the heart of Lafayette Township.

A community treasure for 52 years as a Christmas tree farm and since the late 1700s as a dairy farm, residents and visitors can now count on the Wintergreen Christmas Tree Farm being a permanent part of our future.

The Farm has won awards from both the New Jersey Christmas Tree Growers Association and the New Jersey State Fair Sussex County Farm and Horse Show, as well as winning the Hunterdon Fair People's Choice Award for their Norway spruce, Fraser fir, Canaan fir, and Concolor fir.

The Land Conservancy has been working with Lafayette Township to identify farmland owners who qualify for the State's Farmland Preservation Program.

"Farm owner Bill Allison has taken a unique property and made it a beautiful and thriving agricultural operation," Land Preservation Director Sandy Urgo said. "The work and effort that has been invested in Wintergreen Christmas Tree Farm is apparent to everyone who visits. It is a very special place."

The Land Conservancy of New Jersey secured funding to preserve the Wintergreen Christmas Tree Farm from the New Jersey State Agriculture Development Committee and the Sussex County Agricultural Development Board. The county will own and monitor the easement under the Sussex County Farmland Program. Farm owners interested in preserving their agricultural lands for future generations may contact Sandy and her team at 973-541-1010 for assistance.

Go to www.njchristmastreefarm.com for more information about the tree farm and its trees for the holidays.