Agape Christmas Trees: Moves to a New Location

It's the Most Wonderful

Time of the Year:

Agape Christmas Trees Moves to a New Location

By Christianna Marks

As the weather turns cold, holiday decorations go up, and we've said goodbye to Thanksgiving, it's time to head to your favorite local Christmas tree lot and grab yourself, or your family, the perfect addition to your household for the next month. That's where Agape Christmas Trees comes in.

In 2006, Rick Armet and his family started Agape Christmas Trees because they wanted to have an experience that was family and local-based. Then they decided on Christmas trees because of the business's festive nature.

"It just turned into something where we really enjoy it. It's really neat to see the repeat customers. Some of the kids that were coming with their parents are now coming with their kids as young adults," Rick shared. "It's really neat to see the family tradition that's been created and to see familiar faces and to be involved with the community in that way."

For the past 16 years, the Armet family's tree lot has been located on the corner of Del Rio and El Camino Real in Atascadero. While that land is now being developed, Rick Armet didn't let that break his 16-year stride; instead, he took it as a sign to purchase an 80-acre piece of land on 625 Templeton Road in Templeton and turn it into his own Christmas tree farm. "We're excited to have much more of a destination Christmas tree experience, or Christmas experience rather," Rick explained.

The new lot will be keeping things simple this year while getting everything up and running. Of course, the well-loved bounce house will still be around, with the addition of a few small new elements sprinkled in. Rick said that in the future, he would love to include activities at the Agape Tree Farm, like slay rides and even, possibly, a sledding hill. "I don't feel that we have an Avila Barn type experience [in the North County] where you can go and have a lot of festive experiences, and so it's going to allow us to expand and offer more to all ages," he added.

The Armet family purchased its new property to be the permanent location of their tree business from here on out. "Hopefully, by next year, we'll have our seedlings planted so that we can also offer a ‘you cut’ opportunity," Rick continued.

Agape Christmas Trees upped the percentage of fresh-cut trees they're importing this year. The tree farm supplies over eight varieties to the area, including Noble Fir, Douglas Fir, Nordmann Fir, Grand Fir, White Fir, Silvertip Fir, Scotch Pine, and Norway Spruce, with fresh shipments coming in weekly. "It keeps the supply very fresh. We have people year after year come back saying the trees easily last into January," Rick shared happily. "The fact of us having a fresh truckload each week not only keeps the inventory very fresh, but I can also adjust my orders accordingly if we're selling more or less."

The trees come from small business Christmas tree farms located in Oregon and Northern California. The Armets added that they love supporting and working alongside

the farms where they get their trees. Most of the trees that Agape provides to the county are grown in higher altitudes and cooler climates, which is why these partnerships with out-of-state tree farms are so important.

Another thing that's important to the Armet family is being able to work with each other during the holiday season. "We're very family-oriented, family-based. We have four kids in our local schools, and they're very helpful at the tree lot. As soon as they can walk, they're out there carrying the two-foot trees to help people. They love the experience. Often you'll see our kids up at the tree lot serving you hot chocolate or helping you via the checkout window," Rick explained.

He went on to add that the family started Agape Christmas Trees because Rick knew that he could serve the community in a different way than was already available. He prides himself on offering high-quality trees at a fair price, good customer service, and a special experience for the local community. And after a couple of early years involving over-buying trees, Rick adds that Agape Christmas Trees has very little waste, and normally, they're sold out by December 22, which is the sweet spot. "I have a feeling it's going to be a really good year. [There's] a lot of buzz. A lot of people are talking about it [the new location]. We've had our signs up there for over a month already," Rick said of the signs he put up in October. Agape Christmas Trees received their first tree shipments the week before Thanksgiving and were officially open the day after Thanksgiving. They will continue to receive their weekly tree shipments, which will be available at 625 Templeton Road until Christmas, or once they've run out. For more information, visit Agape Christmas Trees' Facebook Page agapechristmastrees or call (805) 460-9161.

19

Includes a side salad and glass of house wine

MONDAY Meatloaf

TUESDAY Rosemary Chicken

WEDNESDAY Eggplant Parmesan