When veterinarian Dr. Jim Bell purchased a new home for his animal hospital complete with 18 acres of farmland, he was excited to get back into farming.
He had narrowed his choices down to two green options: asparagus like his family had grown years before, or conical evergreens perfect for indoors around Dec. 25.
Bell’s Asparagus Farm didn’t quite have the right ring to it.
So it became Jingle Bell’s Christmas Trees, and that bell rings every December in Collingwood.
“It’s a hobby that’s become a tradition,” said Bell, who still keeps hours at his clinic Bellbrae Animal Hospital, alongside six other vets and about 30 staff.
“You get a kick out of people coming back and seeing families come,” said Bell.
While the tree farm is open all week, the busiest times are the weekends. That’s when Bell and his staff offer hot apple cider on arrival, a tractor-pulled wagon ride to the back of the lot, and a bonfire where tree-hunters can warm up after trekking through the evergreens. It takes a team of eight to run a weekend at the tree farm.
“Everybody has a different idea of what they want in a tree,” said Bell. “People tend toward their own, unique tree, not a Barbie doll tree.”
Kendra Lowry and Dave Bax arrived with their kids Charly Bax, Dannah Bax, and Dan Rennie to pick out a tree. They were searching for something tall and skinny to fit in a small space. They marched to the edge of the tree lot to find their perfect Fraser Fir.
Bell grows mostly Fraser Firs the “Cadillac of Christmas trees,” but you can find some blue and white spruce around as well. Just be careful, those are the prickly ones.
Bell said he used to take his kids to a farm and cut down a tree of their own at Christmas, and he’s glad to keep that tradition alive.
He takes his own tree from the property each year, a Fraser fir, but not a perfect one.
“We get a little Charlie Brown one that may not otherwise be picked up,” said Bell.
He started planting trees on the land about 22 years ago, and started selling them 15 years ago.
The process to get ready for a new Christmas season starts in the Spring with a team clearing the land (some trees end up in the chipper), planting new trees, fertilizing, keeping the weeds at bay, and pruning the trees to maintain the Christmassy cone shape.
Bell likes seeing families return each year – he sells about 300 trees on average – and sometimes the families will take photos of their tree-hunting expedition.
One year, Tori Spelling got engaged on the Jingle Bell’s tree farm. The engagement included private rental of the tree lot, a candlelit wagon ride, and an intimate outdoor table for two.
There have been no weddings at the property yet, but Bell said his daughter is looking at the property for her wedding in the summer.
Jingle Bell’s Christmas Trees is open 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. every day this week and weekend, and is located at 4538 County Rd. 124.
