I want you to keep this in your memory when you are looking for a beautiful live tree and a unique family experience. Last year my wife and son went up to Butler Tree Farm out near Cassopolis. We found that it was well worth the drive and noticed others must have thought so too. There were numerous Indiana license plates in the packed parking lot.

I really don’t have to tell you that Butler Tree Farm goes out of its way to cater to families. Everywhere you look you can see it. Tractor pulled wagon rides out to the trees you get to choose from are driven by the friendliest of folks who even offer the use of a blanket if you don’t have one and appear chilly. They have eight varieties on 20 acres and an additional 80 acres of Fraser Fir trees to choose from.

My wife and I have been cutting our own Christmas tree for quite a few years now. In all of our years we have never found the “perfect” tree as quickly as we did at Butler Tree Farm. We found it probably only twenty feet from the spot where we got off of the wagon. It was the first tree we really noticed and we looked at some others in a radius around it, but came back to it. The guy that drove one of the tractors saw me carrying our tree (my wife was holding our 4 month old son) and came over to help me. We were the only ones waiting for a wagon at that time so we had a ride all to ourselves. As we were heading up to the main office the driver took a couple of pictures of us as they keep an extensive photo album of their customers. He told us that a lot of families come back every year and part of the fun is to look through the photo albums to find their pictures from past trips.

While more of the workers at Butler Tree Farm were mechanically shaking the tree and wrapping it we perused the bakery and gift shop while enjoying the complementary hot cocoa and spiced cider. This year, since our son is older we will probably check out the petting zoo that consists of – miniature goats, donkeys, miniature horses, Belgian horses, peacocks, and llamas. It truly made for a great fun family afternoon. Definitely well worth the trip.

If you go:

Just a half-mile north of the intersection of Marcellus Highway and Decatur Rd. is Crane Street where you want to make a left. Butler Tree Farm is about another ½ mile on the left. There are numerous signs along the way that will keep you from getting lost.

Check them out on the web at www.butlertrees.com