Pages Christmas Tree Farm Boosts Holiday Spirits | Juice and Java Holiday Special
With all the noise surrounding the holiday season, the efforts of small businesses to spread holiday cheer and make a difference often go unnoticed. One of these businesses, Page’s Christmas Tree Farm, has been boosting the holiday spirits of Central New Yorkers since 1998.
Jenna Turck, a Cazenovia resident, made her seventh annual trip to the farm with her husband and kids. She said this farm holds a special place in her heart and has a magic that keeps her coming back.
“I love this place better than most just because we are good friends with the owners and it’s nice to be able to be here with our kids and it’s just great to support a local family,” Turck said.
The local family who owns this farm does much more than sell trees on their property in Manlius. Co-owner Cindy Page selflessly started rehabilitating wild animals here far before any Christmas trees were planted.
Page has been nursing a wide variety of injured animals back to health for over 40 years. She said feeding the animals and making sure they are properly cared for requires lots of time and effort, but the rewarding feeling of seeing one return to the wild makes it all worth it.
“Wildlife has always been a passion with us, so it’s something that we’re very good at and we’ve developed the facilities and working with veterinary care that we can make a big difference, so we do,” Page said.
While Page said the goal is to release every animal once they’ve fully recovered, she also said that it’s not always possible. However, the non-releasable deer, hawks, falcons, owls and other birds of prey become permanent residents on the farm, enhancing the Page’s experience for families as they search for the perfect Christmas tree.
For many kids, like 5-year-old Parker Breuer, seeing these animals is the highlight of their visit. When asked to choose his favorite, Parker simply replied “all of them.”
When the holiday season comes to an end, Page said she will continue her efforts, lending a helping hand to any animal in need brought to her farm.