Thomas Tree Farm is a family dream rooted in Christmas spirit

Just as the morning sun has barely risen over the trees, Christine Thomas steps out onto her 50‑acre coniferous property. These are the quietest moments of the day for her. She loves to feel the fresh breeze on her face, anticipating another heartwarming day at the farm.

“I love the early mornings when it’s just me, my husband and the kids organizing before the crowds arrive,” she said.

Nearly three generations strong, Thomas Tree Farm was founded by Gary and Ruth Thomas in 1990. They passed down their love of the outdoors and strong work ethic through the generations.

Located in North Gower, Ont., it has become a place where faithful customers build lasting memories rooted in family traditions. Although the farm has undergone minor changes over the years, it has kept its charm, down to the stones that intricately frame the front of the house.

“The house that we live in was built by my husband, his two brothers, his sister and his parents. They built this house themselves, and there’s a story behind every part of it,” Christine said.

It all started when Gary and Ruth bought the property in 1985. In his early adult years working as an engineer for the Ministry of Natural Resources, Gary was surrounded by passionate foresters — so much so that he soon became interested in what kind of farming he could do himself. The land quickly became the canvas upon which the family would paint its future.

Gary’s son, Ian, continued down the engineering path. He now works part-time and spends the rest of his week on the farm with the help of their three children.

This year marks the farm’s 35th year in business, open Thursdays to Saturdays. Families have already started gathering their favourite trees for the winter season since opening day on Nov. 21.

With bells ringing and laughter chiming, the farm is more than ready to bring the spirit of Christmas festivities to life. Its exuberant and brightly decorated atmosphere makes this cherished family-owned property a source of special memories for all.

“Gary and Ruth, my in-laws, really built the foundations for the business. But every year we try to add something new or do something different,” Christine said.

Recently, Ian and Christine added an evening opening where families can gather. After 5 p.m., cut-your-own trees are unavailable, but the family makes the most of the time by creating an atmosphere where couples and families alike can form lasting memories, with music playing and lights strung over the fire’s glow.

Some nights, in the calm of the evening, when everyone has brought their trees home to decorate, the couple loves to sit beneath the starry sky and dazzling lights and enjoy a soothing bottle of wine.

On a typical day, visiting families take a tractor-drawn hayride through the forest, where they explore a selection of hand-pruned trees — Scotch pine, spruce and balsam — and enjoy a steaming cup of hot chocolate and cookies around the fire, made from a secret recipe that has carried through for 35 years.

Each tree takes about eight years to grow, undergoing a meticulous process of planting in the spring, mowing the grounds, irrigating the fields and pruning the trees.

“Every tree gets hand-pruned, which takes about 400 hours annually,” Christine said.

The Thomases like to hire students and family members to help with the maintenance and care of the farm.

But the cookies and trees are not the only things with long-standing traditions. Even the wreaths sold at the wreath shop were first created by Ruth Thomas. When the farm was passed down to Ian and Christine in 2018, Christine quickly grew a love for wreath decorating, which is now her favourite pastime.

Christine loves greeting people as they walk in and seeing families’ children grow up.

“We have one family that’s been coming since it opened, pretty much,” she said. “Now all of their grandkids come, and they have a big family reunion here basically every year. They buy, like, ten trees because all the kids come.”

For Christine, nothing is more important than family. Her son Matthew is hopeful to take ownership of the farm in the near future. He would like to expand and modernize the farm to make it more accessible to visitors.

“I’d say my vision for the farm moving forward is to keep our cozy, forest vibe at the farm, but hopefully get some new things like a new building soon, and maybe improvements with things like parking,” he said.

Matthew, who is finishing school in April, said the transition will likely be a slow process, especially as he continues to work at his federal government job as a student. Eventually, he hopes to work with his family to ensure a smooth handover.

“I’m excited to continue the legacy that my grandpa started so long ago,” he said.

His sister Sophie is also excited to continue the legacy of the farm, hoping to have dual ownership alongside her brother.

“Growing up on the farm has been very fun — lots of hard work — but it’s made me into the person I am today,” she said.

In the summer, Sophie would work at her full-time job and help her parents with pruning and planting in any spare time she had, supporting them where she could.

In a modern world where everything feels rushed, the Thomas family truly values long-lasting memories, meaningful moments and a welcoming environment for generations to come.

“These days we have fast fashion, fast food, fast everything. Just getting time outside with your loved ones and spending time together — it’s special,” Christine said, a little teary-eyed.

As the legacy lives on, Thomas Tree Farm will continue to be a truly special wintry experience for all.