Christmas Tree Farms - seasonal or not?
Sunlitgarden-ING
Posts: 204 ✭✭✭
This discussion recently came up and I'd be interested in hearing others' thoughts.
A Christmas tree farm could be argued to meet criteria while it is open (explore the area, socialize with friends also looking for trees, exercise walking around with your tree).
Fairgrounds or other locations that are only open seasonally are still acceptable, would this apply to tree farms as well? To me there's still a difference that the tree farms feel more seasonal but I'm not sure if that's an unfair bias. I think the sticking point is if the farm is actually private property the rest of the time.
Comments
I’m not sure that a Christmas tree farm necessarily (inherently) meets criteria, but I definitely don’t consider them reject worthy as “temporary/seasonal,” which is supposed to be for a “location, place, or object is temporary, or highly unlikely to be permanent.”
A Christmas tree farm usually exists year round and in theory a person could even have access to it year round (especially for other events). Seasonal objects are those that are removed from their coordinate location (height can change) when the event is over, like a Christmas decoration or a Spirit Halloween store. Temporary objects are those that are unlikely to continue to exist in the future, such as a paper sign, a traffic cone, or a working vehicle.
A soccer field isn’t used or accessed in the middle of winter, a lot of ice cream shops close in the winter, a ski resort isn’t used in the middle of summer, and an amusement park is only accessible during the park’s season, but they’re likely to continue to exist in that spot for the foreseeable future, and they can all meet criteria.
Having lived in both an urban area and a rural area, there are two different things that come to mind when saying “Christmas Tree Farm.”
One is basically an open area - such as a parking lot or flea market - that is filled with trees for sale for two months out of the year. That one is seasonal.
The other is land where coniferous trees are cultivated and subsequently sold. That is usually PRP.
I think you’re describing the latter, but I believe that neither one qualifies.
Yes, I was thinking of the latter kind. The PRP issue concerned me as well since "or farm" is in the rejection reason, but I'm not sure that applies if it's a business the public can sometimes access.
This is a great point, and definitely a reason they wouldn’t always qualify. The pop-up parking lot is mot definitely seasonal.
However, if it’s a permanent farm and they have an obvious, permanent “Christmas Tree Farm” sign, the sign probably isn’t interfering with their day-to-day living in their farmhouse, especially if they have a large parking lot and the house is on the other side, for example. I’d hardly call that interfering with prp.
Something like the entrance to Goodman’s Christmas Tree Farm wouldn’t be prp.
Also, if they have a separate building as a storefront, the storefront is probably ok while their actual sleeping house would not.
Although it might be permanent, it still doesn't meet criteria, it's a generic business without any kind of interest.
That’s subjective, and with the right description can be acceptable.
Criteria "a place to be social with others" and "a place for exploration" certainty are ambiguous and open to interpretation. It's been years since I've been to a tree farm, but many cherished Christmas memories are as much about the experience of going to the farm as it was going to "Santa's house." Some such places will have wagon rides, caroling, "tunnel of lights" - an overall very immersive experience that makes it as much amusement park as anything. While the attraction is seasonal, the structures remain year round.
Generic businesses are generic, but so are generic sentences that don't do justice to reviewing.
Edit to add:
I would certainly expect a submitter to offer something worth "proving" eligibility rather than simply "Tree Farm," "Need moar POI" in order for me to approve, but it's definitely something I could be convinced of accepting.
People don't visit the place where the trees are grown all year. It's seasonal. If you showed up in July, there would be nothing public-facing. You would probably be trespassing.
You ever approve an amusement park?
For me it really comes down to what people do there and how you sell it.
I live in a state where there are apple orchards. They are wayspots, sometimes multiple. People go and take walks through the area exploring. Socialize on picnic benchs and eat cider and donuts. There are also multiple things to do. And people can take multiple trips to the apple orchard in a year. I could see this being the same... if there are trails through the trees. If people go there besides taking a tree home.
On the hand if you are there just to get a tree and go... its a bit of stretch imo.
"Seasonal display" is the rejection reason, not a business that may only be open part of the year.
In my opinion this place does not meet criterea, you could technically meet your friends anywhere, but other than buying a Christmas tree, there isn't anything to do in a unique setting or be entertained. It's a field with trees in.
The farm is there year-round, though, it just might not be open year-round. So it's definitely not seasonal.
It's not eligible IMO, though. It's an agricultural plantation. Unless there are regular events held there, I'd be hard to convince that it's a place to socialize with others.