Patagonia Vest (In other colors here. The Retro-X vest is back! And love this one and this one.) / L.L.Bean Plaid Shirt (Runs slightly large, so order your normal size or one size down. I’m wearing an XS here.) / Rag & Bone Jeans / L.L.Bean Shearling-Lined Boots (I normally wear a size 7.5 in shoes, and I took these in a size 7. Also adore the navy and black watch plaid versions.) / Mitch’s Barbour (I own this one and this one, btw! I have a U.S. size 4.), Red Sweater, Bean Boots, and Button-Down (Just got him this one!) / Emma’s Plaid Shirt (Buffalo check version here), Jeans, Jacket and Duck Boots (Also love toddler Hunter boots. Here’s my guide to buying Hunter boots, btw.)
Mitch and I are obviously city people, but we really love venturing outside Chicago every month or so–especially in the fall and early winter. Around this time last year, we took tiny Emma up to the North Shore, which was awesome. (And just about all we could manage with an infant.) This year, though, we received the most amazing invitation to do something far more adventurous:
Visit Richardson Farm in Spring Grove, Illinois.
When Mitch–who now manages my email inbox, haha–told me about the invitation from the Christmas Tree Promotion Board, I kind of shrieked. I imagined us wandering through rows and rows of trees, hand in hand with our little girl, the three of us clad in plaid. And guess what? It was exactly that. But it was so much more, too!
Before I talk about the Richardson family, though, let’s talk about why it’s so wonderful to buy real Christmas trees. Yes, I realize that my inner City Girl is showing when I say this, but I’ll be honest: before learning about the industry, I must have assumed that “going real” was wasteful. But growing, using and recycling real trees is a super environmentally friendly thing to do. First of all, one new tree is planted for every real Christmas tree harvested. And since real Christmas trees are biodegradable, they can be recycled or reused as mulch–unlike artificial trees, which end up sitting in landfills seven to 10 years after they’re purchased.
“Going real” also provides business for farmers, which is something that hits home for me now that I’m a Larkin. (My father-in-law, John, farms his family’s land on a part-time basis, and my brother-in-law, Charlie, runs an incredibly successful chicken farm. Proud of you, Char!) Finally, hunting for the “perfect” real tree is a special experience for families. Personally, I have SO many happy memories from finding our tree and watching my father chop it down! (Thanks, Dad.) And I’ll never forget bringing Emma to Saint Josephat’s to get her first tree. One of the best days ever.
But let’s get back to Richardson Farm, because our day there was also one of the best days ever. ;) When we arrived, we met the incredibly friendly owners: George and Wendy Richardson as well as Robert and Carol Richardson, who told us that the farm has been in the family since 1840. And while they only started growing trees in the early 1980s, they have over 100,000 today! Truly amazing.
Richardson Farm–now a 544-acre homestead that supports three generations–is a special place. It’s stunningly gorgeous, as evidenced by the photos below. (Seriously could have spent several days shooting there. I was in photography heaven!) But it’s not just the natural beauty and the care that the family puts into maintaining the grounds. There’s so much love that can be felt there. Wendy explained how after Halloween, the barn is transformed into a holiday market of sorts. There, they sell doughnuts, hot cocoa and other treats; holiday decorations; and wreaths that you can decorate yourself.
The best part, though, is that there’s ample space and tons of tables for families. The Richardsons allows their guests to bring their own food and make a whole day out of the experience, and many stay until closing. Children watch the model trains chug around the ceiling, and the adults shop, mingle, laugh and eat. Visiting the farm is a tradition for so many of these families that the Richardsons have come to know well. And after just one visit, anyone can see that the operation isn’t just a business. It’s a home–and a home that the Richardsons open up to and share with others during the holidays.
I also loved learning that Richardson Farm employs a large number of people from the surrounding Spring Grove area during the holidays, and that it’s actively involved with Trees for Troops: a program that delivers over 16,000 real trees to military service members and their families throughout the country and overseas. The Richardsons donate 25 trees every year, they spend a day at Great Lakes Naval Station helping service members choose their perfect trees, and they help raise money for the cause. If you’re interested in donating, click here!
Shop the post:
Patagonia Vest (In other colors here. The Retro-X vest is back! And love this one and this one.) / L.L.Bean Plaid Shirt (Runs slightly large, so order your normal size or one size down. I’m wearing an XS here.) / Rag & Bone Jeans / L.L.Bean Shearling-Lined Boots (I normally wear a size 7.5 in shoes, and I took these in a size 7. Also adore the navy and black watch plaid versions.) / Mitch’s Barbour (I own this one and this one, btw! I have a U.S. size 4.), Red Sweater, Bean Boots, and Button-Down (Just got him this one!) / Emma’s Plaid Shirt (Buffalo check version here), Jeans, Jacket and Duck Boots (Also love toddler Hunter boots. Here’s my guide to buying Hunter boots, btw.)