Luke Wojcik fondly recalls his days as a youngster on his family’s Christmas tree farm.
“I remember having a lot of fun playing in the woods and on the big sand hill when the farm was just getting started,” he said. “A lot of open space to run around.”
kAm“%96? H96? x 8@E 2 =:EE=6 @=56C[ x’5 96=A >@H E96 =2H? :? 36EH66? 2== E96 EC66D E92E H6C6 86EE:?8 3:886C] x 8F6DD E92E H2D @?6 @7 E96 7:CDE ;@3D x 5:5 @? E96 72C>] p?5 x 8@E >@C6 :?G@=G65 2D x 8@E @=56C H:E9 ACF?:?8[ 76CE:=:K:?8[ A=2?E:?8]”k^Am
kAm%96D6 52JD[ (@;4:<[ ba[ DE:== 6?;@JD 9:D E:>6 :? E96 4@F?ECJD:56 — 2=36:E ?@H 2D 4@\@H?6C @7 (@;4:<’D r9C:DE>2D %C66 u2C>[ ;FDE 62DE @7 !F=2D<: :? E96 qC@H? r@F?EJ E@H? @7 !:EED7:6=5]k^Am
kAmw:D 72E96C[ s2G:5 (@;4:<[ 2 C6E:C65 >6492?:42= 6?8:?66C[ 2?5 8C2?572E96C[ #:492C5 (@;4:<[ 2 C6E:C65 E62496C[ DE2CE65 E96 72C> b_ J62CD 28@] {F<6 2?5 s2G:5 92?5=6 >@DE @7 E96 72C> 5FE:6D E96D6 52JD[ 3FE #:492C5 DE:== 96=AD @FE 2D ?66565]k^Am
kAm“xE’D DA64:2= E92E :E’D 2 72>:=J 3FD:?6DD =:<6 E9:D[” {F<6 D2:5] “xE’D ?:46 E@ <66A E96 72>:=J ?2>6 8@:?8 H:E9 E96 72C>] xE’D 2=H2JD 366? <:?5 @7 2 72>:=J 2772:C[ 3FE H6 86E 2 =@E @7 96=A 7C@> @E96C 7C:6?5D 2?5 72>:=J E@@] xE’D 2 8C@FA 677@CE]”k^Am
kAm(@;4:<’D r9C:DE>2D %C66 u2C> @A6?D 6249 J62C @? E96 52J 27E6C %92?<D8:G:?8 2?5 DE2JD @A6? F?E:= r9C:DE>2D — @C 2D D@@? 2D E96 EC66D 2C6 D@=5 @FE] %96 a_\24C6 72C> :D 9@>6 E@ 23@FE g[___ 32=D2> 7:C[ uC2D6C 7:C 2?5 DACF46 EC66D — @7 H9:49 C@F89=J f__ 2C6 C625J 7@C AC6\4FE @C 4FE\J@FC\@H? 92CG6DE:?8 E9:D D62D@?]k^Am
kAm“(6’C6 8@:?8 E@ 36 C62==J 3FDJ ?@H 2== E96 H2J E9C@F89 r9C:DE>2D[” {F<6 D2:5] “xE’D AC6EEJ 7F? D66:?8 D@ >2?J 72>:=:6D 4@>6 324< J62C 27E6C J62C 2?5 92G:?8 FD 36 A2CE @7 E96:C r9C:DE>2D EC25:E:@?]k^Am
kAm“(6’G6 925 >2CC:286 AC@A@D2=D @FE 96C6] (6’G6 925 A6@A=6 4@>6 @FE E@ E2<6 72>:=J A:4EFC6D 96C6 7@C r9C:DE>2D 42C5D] xE’D 7F? E@ H2E49 6G6CJ@?6 86E 6?;@J>6?E 2?5 4C62E6 E9@D6 >6>@C:6D E96J’== ?6G6C 7@C86E]”k^Am
kAm{F<6 D2:5 E96 (@;4:< 72>:=J 6DE23=:D965 C@@ED :? E96 2C62 :? E96 =2E6 `g__D H96? 9:D 8C62E\8C62E\8C2?572E96C[ uC2?< (@;4:<[ 2CC:G65 7C@> !@=2?5] w6 4=62C65 E96 H@@565 AC@A6CEJ 2?5 4@?G6CE65 E96 =2?5 :?E@ 2 52:CJ @A6C2E:@? 7@C >2?J J62CD] uC2?<’D D@?[ |:<6[ 4@?E:?F65 E92E 52:CJ EC25:E:@?]k^Am
kAm|:<6’D D@?[ #:492C5 WH9@ :D {F<6’D 8C2?572E96CX[ AFCDF65 2 E6249:?8 42C66C]k^Am
kAm“|J 8C2?5A2 H2D 2 3:@=@8J E62496C[ 2?5 E96J’5 36 5@:?8 AC@;64ED 2E D49@@= :? E96 8C66?9@FD6D 2?5 96’5 86E E96D6 =:EE=6 DACF46 EC2?DA=2?ED[” {F<6 D2:5] “w6’5 AFE E96 6IEC2D @FE 96C6 @? E96 AC@A6CEJ[ ?@E C62==J <?@H:?8 96’5 >2<6 :E :?E@ 2 EC66 72C>] (6==[ E96 :562 7@C E96 EC66 72C> 42>6 FA @?6 E:>6 2?5 E96J E9@F89E >2J36 E96J’5 A=2?E >@C6 2?5 D66 H92E 92AA6?D]”k^Am
kAm~?6 E9:?8 =65 E@ 2?@E96C[ 2?5 :? `hgh #:492C5 2?5 s2G:5 @77:4:2==J 3682? E96 EC66 72C> — 2=E9@F89 E96 7:CDE 92CG6DE DE:== H2D 2 76H J62CD 2H2J J6E]k^Am
kAm“p EC66 72C> 5@6D?’E ;FDE A@A FA @G6C?:89E[” {F<6 D2:5] “%96 EC66D A=2?E65 2C6 23@FE b @C c J62CD @=5] qFE E96? :E’D 2?@E96C f @C g J62CD 367@C6 J@F’C6 23=6 E@ D6== EC66D] xE’D 2 D=@H[ AC@8C6DD:G6 E9:?8[ D@ E96J DE2CE65 A=2?E:?8 2 =:EE=6 3:E >@C6 6249 J62C]”k^Am
kAm$:?46 E96 AC@A6CEJ :D ?62C=J >2I65 @FE H:E9 EC66D ?@H[ {F<6 :D 6IA2?5:?8 9:D G:D:@? E@ G2=F6\25565 AC@5F4ED E92E 2AA62= E@ 4FDE@>6CD — =:<6 HC62E9D[ A=2?E6CD 2?5 3@F89D]k^Am
kAmqFE {F<6 D2:5 E96 7@F?52E:@? @7 E96 EC66 72C> 2?5 9:D 72>:=J’D A2DD:@? 7@C 4@F?ECJ =:G:?8 H@?’E 492?86 7C@> E96 C@@ED @? H9:49 E96J 3682?]k^Am
kAm“x 6?;@J 36:?8 @? E96 72C>[ 2?5 D@ 5@6D >J H:76 W|6=:DD2X 2?5 @FC 3@JD Ww6?CJ[ e[ 2?5 vC:77:?[ bX[” D2:5 {F<6[ H9@ 2=D@ @H?D 2? @C82?:4 AC@5F46 3FD:?6DD[ %H:? t=> v2C56?D[ @? E96 AC@A6CEJ]k^Am
kAm“%96 3@JD C62==J =@G6 36:?8 @FE 96C6] xE’D 2 AC6EEJ 4@@= A=246] xE’D 8C62E E92E E96 <:5D 42? CF? 2C@F?5 @? 2 =@E @7 =2?5 H:E9 E96 5@8 2?5 A=2J 9:56\2?5\D66< 2?5 5@ H92E6G6C E96J H2?E] %96 @A6? DA246 :D 8C62E]”k^Am
kAm(@;4:<’D r9C:DE>2D %C66 u2C>[ 2E cbde %H:? t=> sC:G6[ :D @A6? 52:=J 7C@> h 2]>] F?E:= 23@FE c A]>] 5FC:?8 E96 92CG6DE:?8 D62D@?] %96 72C> 2=D@ D6==D AC6\4FE EC66D 2E '6C?’D w2C5H2C6 :? !F=2D<: 2?5 z:>AD prt w2C5H2C6 :? w@H2C5 5FC:?8 E9@D6 DE@C6D’ 3FD:?6DD 9@FCD]k^Am
kAmu@C >@C6 :?7@C>2E:@?[ G:D:E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]H@;4:<49C:DE>2DEC6672C>]4@>QmHHH]H@;4:<49C:DE>2DEC6672C>]4@>k^2m @C 42== ha_\e`h\eha`]k^Am