The True Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus

By Jamie Lehrer

When was the last time you stopped to think about what the holiday of Christmas really means? Of course it’s about family and “making spirits bright”, but where does the magic of Christmas, truly, come from? A good place to start could be its centerpiece, the Christmas Tree.

Have you ever wondered where a Christmas Tree comes from? If you haven’t had the delight of cutting down your own tree, you may just think curiosity. If you have, maybe you think marvel or just plain repetition but just like the story of Christmas, its more then just decoration.

Over fifty years ago, the land at the end of New England Lane in Orange was a simple stretch of green grass and soggy landfill. Louis and Kitty Gherlone, two everlasting members to the Orange Community, moved in, though, and saw more.

Attempting to maximize land usage and exercise property potential, Lou Gherlone concluded a Christmas Tree Farm; a one-of-a-kind perfect solution. The launch of this venture included a conduct to clear the land and prepare soil and foundation; this was only the beginning. Removing stumps, transporting trees, digging holes, and more were only some of the many duties it took to transpire this land into Lou’s vision; the revelation of a Christmas Tree Farm.

Working during the weekends and late into the night, Lou would arrive home from his career as a stockbroker and tend to the farm. $5,000 a year would only cover the spraying expenses, and 14 weeks and two men were needed to plan for the holiday. 4,000 trees lived on that farm and, now-a-days, there could be more.

Similar to an orchid, Christmas trees have the potential to grow magnificently, but not on their own. They need sunlight, attention, water, and more to grow just right. Lou loved his trees and devoted all of his free time to the farm.

He would walk the aisles of trees and tend to each specific one. Manicuring them each day, he would wire their branches to fill the gaps and hide their bare spots. He would drag the dirt, drain the trees, spray them and transplant new trees all for the sake of the Christmas Holiday.

The Gherlone Family would work all year round to plan for the season. While Lou would pare his land, supervise his trees, and cut the grass in between the rows, his wife Kitty would tend to the phone calls and the tags, a way for people to come and tag or claim their tree ahead of time. While doing so, Lou Jr., one of their three children, would assist with pricing and customers.

The farm carried a feeling of bliss, so even at times when the feeling would become hectic, the family would cherish the endless feeling of season celebration that the farm solidified.

When Christmas wasn’t near, the off-season was even longer. Working with the town of Orange to gain approval, rationalize taxes and more, nothing came easy. Still, Lou and his family didn’t mind. Just like a Christmas story, all of the countless families would arrive at his farm to begin their celebration season, and this was all enough.

The Christmas Tree Farm permitted happiness. Families had the opportunity to indulge in a special outing. They got to celebrate in the simplest holiday joy with the people that they love the most and Lou had a passion for delivering this. He didn’t mind the tedious work because he adored bringing gifts to those who believe in the spirit of Christmas; similar to Father Christmas, himself.

As the Christmas Tree Farm grew so did the tradition. While, the trees were scouted and sold for regular price, others were donated to those less fortunate. The taller and more full that the trees became, the more that they would grow on Lou as well. He wanted everyone to feel the snowy magic of Christmas and it didn’t matter to him how hard he had to work, he wanted everyone to be apart of it. 

Lou was known to see only the good in people and his farm. His timeless love, Ms. Kitty Gherlone, knew that there were many things that could be changed on their farm, but she was always sensitive to how hard he had worked, and how far he had came.

As the years went by, Lou would continue to come home from work and designate the remaining bit of sunlight to his time on the farm; to him it was means of relaxation. Working to scout each tree and tidy every branch, Lou would prepare his winter wonderland for the holiday to come. 

Their Christmas story continued as Lou and Kitty no longer worked for themselves, but worked more for their visitors.

Louis Gherlone’s Christmas Tree Farm is more then just relentless eye candy or simple repetition; it’s a life story of hard work, concentration and passion. Within each tree is a story of its own, and as you walk through the aisles of Christmas orchids, you can feel the existence of holiday magic.

When life passed by, Lou’s Christmas Tree dynasty was handed down to his children. Today, even though some things has been altered and some rules still apply and others have faded, the love and spirit that seeps from that once soggy landfill, the hard work that dances with the smell of fresh and natural Christmas trees and the love that lingers on the land at the end of New England Lane, will never be lost. It’s impeded into this farm and its impeded into Orange. 

This holiday don’t just take a Christmas tree home, take the true magic of the holiday spirit, what Christmas really means. Tis the season for making spirits bright and family sparkle, there is no better place to find your Christmas centerpiece, then a place where the sparkle of Christmas lasts all year long.

Happy Holidays