Pine Hollow Christmas Tree Farm tagging weekend set Nov. 21, 22
Fred Sposato loves everything about Christmas: the sights, the lights, the sounds and the memories. In fact, he still remembers a magical Christmas back in 1959 when he was 8 years old. Santa brought him a farm set from Marx Toys, making him the happiest kid in town.
“You probably never heard of Marx Toys, but they were very popular back then,” said Sposato, co-owner of Sposato Irrigation in Milton. “They made toy sets out of sheet metal. One was Fort Apache; another was the Blue and Gray Civil War set, and there was a farm set complete with farmers, farm equipment and animals. It was the best Christmas present I ever got in my life, and I’ve had gotten some great presents over the years. But that present is something I’ll never forget.”
In 1984, when Sposato needed to earn some extra money to supplement his income from his job at a local cannery, he decided to do something related to Christmas. “I figured if I was going to start a business, it was going to be something I enjoyed.” So he planted some trees on nine acres of land off Hudson Road in Milton and called it Pine Hollow Christmas Tree Farm. And he has been supplying Sussex County residents with beautiful Christmas trees ever since.
A happy place
“I’m just a big kid,” admitted Sposato, who owns Sposato Irrigation with his younger brother, Tony. “The tree farm is a happy place. Sure, we work 100-hour weeks during the holiday season, but it’s all fun. It’s a labor of love. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. My wife Shelly and I, and a lot of my employees from the irrigation business, help with the tree farm. So it’s a family affair. We stop selling trees three days before Christmas so we can all enjoy the holidays with our families.”
Sposato was born in Wilmington, but his family moved to Milton when he was 2. He was a member of the first graduating class at Cape Henlopen High School in 1970. After attending a military academy and Wesley College, he graduated from the University of Delaware with a degree in general agriculture.
Today he has thousands of trees, mostly Douglas fir. He plans to sell several hundred trees this year from his farm. He also brings in hundreds of Fraser firs from North Carolina every year that are popular with his customers. “After a flood devastated our crop a few years ago, we found a tree farm in North Carolina that grows beautiful Fraser fir. We sell them out every year,” said Sposato. “People from all over the county stop by to get them. They love them.”
Pine Hollow also makes wreaths, swags and garlands, as well as custom arrangements. They take special orders and will even deliver trees for those without transportation.
A special tree
Of all the trees he has, however, there is one that has special meaning and is not for sale. It’s the Living/Giving Tree, and it reminds Sposato of the true meaning of Christmas - giving. “It’s a live tree, with a root ball,” he said. “You can donate an ornament for $1 and we contribute $4. All proceeds go to The Shriners Hospital for Children in Philadelphia.
“Last year we raised $1,000 for the hospital. This year we hope to double that. It’s a great feeling handing that check over to Endeavor Lodge 17 knowing it will help kids who are going through some tough times. It reminds you of what Christmas is all about.”
And whatever happened to Sposato’s favorite Christmas present of all time? “Well, after several moves over the years, it was lost. But I bought one on EBay a few years back that’s sitting at my house unopened. It’s still in its original packaging. Maybe I’ll open it up this year.”
Just what you’d expect from a kid at Christmas.
Tagging weekend at Pine Hollow Christmas Tree Farm is Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 21 and 22, when people can tag their trees and schedule to come back later for pickup.
The farm is open every day from Tuesday, Dec. 1 through Tuesday, Dec. 22. It is open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekends and from 12 to 4:30 p.m. weekdays. Pine Hollow is at 16109 Hudson Road in Milton. For more information, call 302-644-0711.
