
Starting in 1986, Shelinski’s Tree Farm, located in both Hughesville and Picture Rocks, has been a long-standing family-run farm.
“My dad started in 1986, and I took it over in 2015. It has doubled in size in 2021 with the purchase of another tree farm in the area,” said Justin Shelinski, the current owner of Shelinski’s Tree Farm.
The tree farm was open this November during Black Friday. Customers should choose Shelinski’s Tree Farm for their, “Friendly customer service and long-standing history,” said Shelinski.
In the past few years, the amount of people visiting this tree farm has been in the thousands and it’s currently trending up.
“Every year we get a real tree from Shelinski’s Tree Farm,” said Lauren Rauch, a recurring customer at Shelinski’s Tree Farm. “We have enjoyed getting a Blue Spruce because of its beautiful bluish color and the orange scent can’t be matched by any artificial tree,” said Rauch.
For many people deciding on getting a real or fake tree has many pros and cons, but for Rauch, it’s clear what is better, “Even if I didn’t have three kids and a husband who really enjoy the tree as well, I would still get a real one,” said Rauch.
“Some people think real trees are much more expensive and make a mess, but I think supporting a small family business one time a year far outweighs an artificial,” said Rauch.
Many people also focus on the look of the tree, Rauch also owns a small artificial tree. “It’s not as pretty and shows a lot of the metal connecting parts. I would have to put a lot more effort into making my artificial tree as pretty as my real one,” said Rauch.
“It’s also special family time as we build memories with our children,” said Rauch. Many people choose real trees for the whole experience of cutting down a tree and spending time with loved ones.

“As someone who hates tree sap and the pain of trying to keep a tree alive all through December, having an artificial tree is a breath of fresh air,” said sophomore Alyvia Knittle.
Based on a survey on what trees students at MAHS have, fake trees were much more popular among students.
“The disadvantages of having an artificial tree are, of course, having to drag it back down to the basement each year. However, I believe that artificial trees have more advantages than disadvantages,” said Knittle.
“I always hated standing out in the cold for 45 minutes while my dad insisted on picking the perfect tree,” said Knittle. Many people pick artificial trees for convenience and not having to block out a whole day for set up. “Overall, I’d say the setup time is way less than when we had a real tree,” said Knittle.
Featured image (at top): Lauren Rauch’s daughter Norah Rauch puts the star on the top of their tree with help from her dad Wes Rauch.
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