The Salinas River Ranch Christmas Tree Farm had it’s grand opening this Friday. The land has been in the Baron/George family for over 90 years.
What used to be a hog farm, turned dairy farm, is now home to more than 3,000 trees planted by Amy George and her family. The idea of a Christmas tree farm came from a longtime dream of her grandmother, whose ashes are spread under the large oak tree on the property to honor her and her husband’s memory as the first owners of the land in the family.
“We're huge Christmas fans,” Amy George said. “We've always gone and cut down our own trees. I was talking with my dad about it and he said, well, you know, your grandma always wanted a Christmas tree farm.”
Amy purchased the land from her parents and hit the ground running. After having her fifth child, Olivia, paired with two unsuccessful years of trying to get the farm up and running, Amy did not see a light at the end of the tunnel.
“We started planting trees, about 2,200 of them, and lost about 2,000 of them,” the mother of five said. “We did not know what we were doing.”
Amy thought about giving up until her parents stepped in.
“I'm a diehard in our belief that if you start something, we should always follow it through,” Madonna Baron, Amy’s mother said.
The Salinas River Ranch Christmas tree farm grows Monterey Pine and Monterey Cypress, a hypoallergenic breed while the nobles and furs are shipped in from Oregon.
A soft opening last year and now a full-fledged family operation with all five kids and extended family putting work in to help turn a dream into a reality.
Amy’s eldest daughter makes wreaths by hand that are sold at the ranch, while Madonna Baron and her friend have a shack dedicated to their glass art. Amy’s middle children run the snack shack while her youngest, Olivia, maintains the lay of the land as Santa’s elf.
Salinas River Ranch is located on Santa Barbara Road in Atascadero, just follow the tree signs.
There is no last-day set, so come get your tree while it’s available.
