MAUREEN CONNER PELTZER, FUHS '54 (TREE FARM)
PHOTO BY PAUL RODRIGUEZ, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Fire doesn't delay start of Christmas tree sales
Loyal customers continue their holiday traditions at Peltzer Pines Christmas tree farm in Brea.
By ERIKA CHAVEZ
The Orange County Register
It's a yearly tradition for Katie and Neal Desai: heading over to the Peltzer Pines Christmas tree farm in Brea on the first day of the season, so they can roam the aisles of meticulously pruned trees and pick one of the prettiest to cut down and take home for the holidays.
But as fires raged into Yorba Linda and Brea last weekend, the Desais wondered if the scenic farm would be left standing, or if the flames would claim the thousands of trees planted and nurtured across 10 acres.
"I had my mom drive by this morning to make sure the farm was still here," said Katie Desai, who lives in La Habra Heights and has been picking a Peltzer Pines tree every year since she was a small child.
The farm was spared, just barely.
The flames stopped shy of the property on Rose Drive, north of Imperial Highway and almost adjacent to Carbon Canyon Regional Park. Charred black hillsides surround the bucolic patch of land dotted with neat rows of triangular trees. It was the property's dirt and gravel driveways that provided enough of a buffer to stop the flames from advancing, said owner Chuck Peltzer.
Dozens of trees on the northern edge of the farm, from strapping 7-footers to small saplings, were singed by the flames. The Desais chose a tree that was planted three or four rows away from the edge of the fire's reach.
"It was pretty sad to see the damaged trees and the burned areas all around," Neal Desai said.
Three Peltzer Pines farms throughout Orange County began selling trees on the customary Saturday before Thanksgiving. But it was the Brea farm that attracted the most curiosity, as customer after customer inquired how close the flames came and walked the perimeter of the property to see for themselves.
"We were worried about the trees last weekend when the fire was burning," said Michelle Willie of Yorba Linda, who brought her 9-year-old daughter, Sophia, to the farm today. "We come here every year to start the holiday season. We like to take our time and get lost in the trees."
Despite the fire that destroyed or damaged hundreds of homes and consumed more than 30,000 acres, spirits were high among the customers that trickled into the Brea farm today. Owner Chuck Peltzer, whose family has farmed in Orange County since the 1950s, said that's one reason why he has kept the business going.
"It's fun," Peltzer said. "People are always happy when they come and run around the ranch."
Located in Brea, Irvine and Silverado Canyon, the farms feature popular Monterey pines as well as non-allergenic and long-lasting Leylandia cypresses. They range in size from 5 feet to 11 feet and are priced individually according to shape and size. A typical tree costs $80 to $100 and takes four to five years to grow, Peltzer said.
Jessica and Kyle DeBruyn of Cypress were excited to find a choose-and-cut Christmas tree farm when they moved to Orange County from northern California four years ago.
It's a bit of a haul from Cypress to Brea, but the DeBruyns don't mind.
"Picking out a tree from the Home Depot parking lot just isn't the same," said Jessica DeBruyn, whose 4-month-old daughter Ava slept peacefully in a sling while her parents roamed the farm. "Coming here gets us into the Christmas spirit."
Contact the writer: 949-553-2914 or echavez@ocregister.com
Fire doesn't delay start of Christmas tree sales
Loyal customers continue their holiday traditions at Peltzer Pines Christmas tree farm in Brea.
By ERIKA CHAVEZ
The Orange County Register
It's a yearly tradition for Katie and Neal Desai: heading over to the Peltzer Pines Christmas tree farm in Brea on the first day of the season, so they can roam the aisles of meticulously pruned trees and pick one of the prettiest to cut down and take home for the holidays.
But as fires raged into Yorba Linda and Brea last weekend, the Desais wondered if the scenic farm would be left standing, or if the flames would claim the thousands of trees planted and nurtured across 10 acres.
"I had my mom drive by this morning to make sure the farm was still here," said Katie Desai, who lives in La Habra Heights and has been picking a Peltzer Pines tree every year since she was a small child.
The farm was spared, just barely.
The flames stopped shy of the property on Rose Drive, north of Imperial Highway and almost adjacent to Carbon Canyon Regional Park. Charred black hillsides surround the bucolic patch of land dotted with neat rows of triangular trees. It was the property's dirt and gravel driveways that provided enough of a buffer to stop the flames from advancing, said owner Chuck Peltzer.
Dozens of trees on the northern edge of the farm, from strapping 7-footers to small saplings, were singed by the flames. The Desais chose a tree that was planted three or four rows away from the edge of the fire's reach.
"It was pretty sad to see the damaged trees and the burned areas all around," Neal Desai said.
Three Peltzer Pines farms throughout Orange County began selling trees on the customary Saturday before Thanksgiving. But it was the Brea farm that attracted the most curiosity, as customer after customer inquired how close the flames came and walked the perimeter of the property to see for themselves.
"We were worried about the trees last weekend when the fire was burning," said Michelle Willie of Yorba Linda, who brought her 9-year-old daughter, Sophia, to the farm today. "We come here every year to start the holiday season. We like to take our time and get lost in the trees."
Despite the fire that destroyed or damaged hundreds of homes and consumed more than 30,000 acres, spirits were high among the customers that trickled into the Brea farm today. Owner Chuck Peltzer, whose family has farmed in Orange County since the 1950s, said that's one reason why he has kept the business going.
"It's fun," Peltzer said. "People are always happy when they come and run around the ranch."
Located in Brea, Irvine and Silverado Canyon, the farms feature popular Monterey pines as well as non-allergenic and long-lasting Leylandia cypresses. They range in size from 5 feet to 11 feet and are priced individually according to shape and size. A typical tree costs $80 to $100 and takes four to five years to grow, Peltzer said.
Jessica and Kyle DeBruyn of Cypress were excited to find a choose-and-cut Christmas tree farm when they moved to Orange County from northern California four years ago.
It's a bit of a haul from Cypress to Brea, but the DeBruyns don't mind.
"Picking out a tree from the Home Depot parking lot just isn't the same," said Jessica DeBruyn, whose 4-month-old daughter Ava slept peacefully in a sling while her parents roamed the farm. "Coming here gets us into the Christmas spirit."
Contact the writer: 949-553-2914 or echavez@ocregister.com
posted by Connie @ 2:50 PM
2 Comments
2 Comments:
Loved the pic of one of the tree farms. My daughter Lonnie & I have worked opening day at the Irvine Farm for several years. It has always been a lot of fun to see all the people scurrying to pick out their tree.
Barbara (Howe) Kamphefner
Class of 1953
Well this is awesome and well shared by you. I really like your posts here. Thank you and keep sharing.Home For Sale In Fullerton!
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home