Reindeers graze in their pen and greet new customers. (Photo: James Ellwood)

Santa Claus hats keep the workers warm as they carefully place freshly cut Christmas trees in the trunks of customers’ cars.

Festive Bing Crosby music and the light scent of pine greets those who walk through the parking lot and enter Ian’s Evergreen Plantation — a tree farm located just outside city limits, at 804 Richmond Rd.

Children unblinkingly watch reindeer play in their log-fence protected field, while those who have harvested new trees relax by the campfire and sip on free hot chocolates.

For those looking to cut their own Christmas tree, a long winding trail lies directly ahead of the main entrance. A quick trip on a hayride leads down the trail, passes the aptly named Ho Ho Lake, and stops at vast fields with every kind of holiday tree imaginable — pines, cedars, firs and spruces.

Ian’s Evergreen Plantation has an exclusive appeal to it — one different from every other tree farm. The plantation prides itself on environmental awareness and unique features.

For every tree chopped down and sold, Ian Andrews — the owner of the farm — plants more to eventually sprout up and replace it. Andrews says he is especially environmentally conscious and tries his best to aid the nearby animal population.

“For every tree that gets bought, more are planted, because for every tree that I sell, I plant up to five to replace it. It’s very beneficial to the environment because Christmas trees grow on land that most other crops can’t — and while the trees are growing, they’re taking CO2 out of the air and helping the wildlife,” he says.

He also says people are becoming more and more environmentally conscious and he is just trying to do his part.

Andrews specifically credits David Suzuki for encouraging people to go out and cut their own tree down as an alternative to buying fake trees.

The trees are grown just like a normal crop and are biodegradable. On the other hand, a fake tree will just be thrown out.

“They’re grown like carrots  or  pumpkins. The trees are an agricultural crop and they’re totally biodegradable, whereas an artificial tree isn’t — it’ll eventually end up in the landfills,” Andrews says.

This rise in environmental awareness has significantly helped Ian’s Evergreen Plantation become a successful business.

Andrews says each year he sees more and more people come to his farm and hears of less and less people buying artificial Christmas trees.

However, Andrews says it is the atmosphere of his farm that keeps people coming back. The complete package allows you to cut down your own tree, watch reindeer play, enjoy some free hot chocolate and experience so much more.

A new custumer to Andrews’ farm, Jessica Hughes, a Carleton graduate who has been cutting down Christmas trees all her life, says it is the plantation’s diverse appeal and large property that makes it so amazing.

She says it is worth going to Ian’s Evergreen Plantation even if you are not planning to cut down a tree.

“They offer a lot of different services that most others don’t. They also have the lake and the trail you could walk around to. So even if you weren’t just getting a tree, it’d be a cool daytime activity,” Hughes says.

Andrews says the reason he gains so many new customers and keeps them coming back is because his farm is so different from all the others.

He calls his plantation a full-service tree farm — one that offers everything, and it is all included in the price of the tree.

“There are a few other farms around where you just go get your tree and that’s it,” Andrews says.

“Here we have the bailing, the real reindeer, the wagon rides, the free hot chocolate and if there’s snow we have a sliding hill and a skating rink. That’s all included in the price of the tree — we don’t try to nickel and dime people. You just pay for the tree, and everything’s included.”