As the weather chills, farming may seem a distant memory, but many local area farms remain vibrant by offering farm products and on-farm experiences before the year ends.
Mandi Carroll is one of the creative designers at McCray’s Farm in South Hadley for their Holiday Light Stroll. She says, “Winter on the farm looks a little different than the busy seasons. As the holidays approach, our focus shifts from crops and fieldwork to caring for the property, keeping up with maintenance, and preparing the farm for guests. It’s a quieter time, but an important one — making sure buildings, equipment and the grounds are ready for both winter weather and the Holiday Light Stroll. Even though the fields are resting, the farm is still very much alive — just in a different, quieter way.”
Miana Hoyt Dawson is co-owner of Pause and Pivot Farm in Williamsburg. She adds, “Because we grow our greens, herbs, and small root veggies in a controlled environment, winter has become our high season. During these cold months, we are planting, transplanting, and harvesting to serve professional customers like the Williamsburg Market, along with our subscribers who receive weekly bags of greens from the farm throughout the winter, and retail customers who drop in our barn shop or order through our online farm shop … The farm is buzzing in the winter with vegetable production, events and woodworking.”
For Robert Schrader of Chestnut Mountain Christmas Tree Farm in Hatfield, this is prime time, when his family welcomes visitors to the farm seeking their ideal holiday tree. Schrader explains that planting in April and tending through the seasons yields fir trees with the classic shape and qualities people seek for the holidays. The farm offers Fraser, Balsam, Canaan and Concolor firs from Thanksgiving through Christmas week — or until they sell out.
For these farms, the relationships between the farms and the community remain central to each farm’s identity and mission, and agritourism is the way the farms connect to the public. Schrader says, “Agritourism is our business. We’re here to create a family experience. We get four weeks of bliss. Visitors are happy, and we’re happy. It’s just a happy time of year.”
Hoyt Dawson adds, “When we founded the company, our mission ‘to connect people with the magic and joy of our everyday lives’ made hosting events a very obvious part of our offerings. This takes many forms at Pause & Pivot, from ticketed events to free, drop-in events that are open to the public. Since we opened in 2021, Pause & Pivot has offered events as opportunities for guests to visit with us, meet our animals, explore our offerings and enjoy the farm.”
Carroll notes that at McCray’s, “Agritourism means opening our farm to the community and creating a place where people can slow down and reconnect. It’s sharing the beauty, work, and joy of farm life with families who may have never experienced it before. For us, it’s not just a business model — it’s a way to build memories, traditions and relationships that keep our farm rooted in purpose.”
She explains McCray’s offerings grew with their community. Carroll continues, “We started by offering a few simple seasonal activities and quickly saw how much visitors enjoyed being here. One small idea grew into more interactive experiences, from special events to family-friendly attractions. Over time, we kept adding what made people smile, and it has become a meaningful, year-round part of our farm’s identity.”
Celebrating the season takes many forms. At McCray’s, their annual Holiday Light Stroll runs through Sunday, Dec. 28. It’s a magical, family-friendly walk through the farm, featuring thousands of lights and festive displays to help guests celebrate the season.
Pause & Pivot Farm hosts their fifth annual Open Barn events on Saturday, Dec. 13 and Dec. 20. These free events are open to the public and feature a curated collection of items from artisans and other small businesses.
Hoyt Dawson says, “The goal of our very first Open Barn was to invite folks to check out the farm, meet the team, and enjoy the festive atmosphere in our heated barn. Over the years, we’ve added one-of-a-kind items that celebrate creative talent from other farms, artisans, and makers in and around our region. If shopping is not on everyone’s agenda, we welcome visitors to stop by for a warm drink and enjoy our crafting studio, which offers a low-key holiday activity for some hands-on fun while others in their group shop.”
Farm activities deepen connections among families and with individual visitors, who tend to return each year. Carroll notes, “Welcoming people to our farm lets us connect with them in a genuine way. When families come to enjoy the lights or stop by the farm stand, we get to share conversations, see familiar faces return, and become part of their holiday traditions. Those moments turn visitors into a community we truly care about.”
Schrader says the holiday season is an opportunity to work with their whole family over five weeks. Caren Weiner, Schrader’s wife, manages the farm stand, while their son (also a co-owner) and daughter-in-law, Jake and Amy Schrader, handle whatever needs to be done. Their daughter in California helps out with social media from afar.
“It’s a family business and we have fun,” he said.
For Hoyt-Dawson, “It is both the magic of seeing our barn transformed into a warm and festive retail space, and also the connections with new and existing customers that bring the most joy. The surprise and delight created when someone walks into our space when it is decked out for the holidays underscores our mission. Learning from a visitor about a family heirloom recipe they’ll make using our greens, or hearing about the recipient of the gifts a customer is purchasing at Open Barn is just as gratifying.”
Carroll summarizes a sentiment that appears true for all three farms. She says, “People feel a sense of peace and togetherness here. It’s a chance to slow down, enjoy the fresh air and make simple, happy memories with their families. The lights, the atmosphere and the break from everyday stress give visitors a feeling they can’t get anywhere else.”
Chestnut Mountain Christmas Tree Farm offers a fire pit, free cocoa and cookies and a tractor-drawn hayride for a full holiday adventure. A food truck is available on weekends, and the farm stand is open. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. For more details, see www.chestnutmountaintreefarm.com.
Holiday Lights at McCray’s Farm go until Dec. 28. Tickets are $18 for adults, $15 for kids and children 2 and under are free. For details and the link to purchase tickets, see: www.mccrays-farm.com/holidaylights.
Open Barn at Pause and Pivot Farm is Dec. 13 and Dec. 20 from noon to 6 p.m. This event is free and the public are welcome.
For more information, see their website, www.pausepivotfarm.com.
Lisa Goodrich is a communications coordinator for Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA). To find more Fun on the Farm or cut-your-own trees, see CISA’s online guide at buylocalfood.org.
