CALEDONIA, MICH. — With the countdown to Christmas just over two weeks away, the Christmas tree is a staple for many households this time of year, but it’s not always a given.
Unfortunately, many might not be able to afford to get a fresh tree, but thanks to the generosity of Deep Roots Produce in Caledonia, a free tree giveaway is saving Christmas for families this year.
You can find many attractions at Deep Roots, a produce stand during the summer, with fun for the kids too. There are petting zoos, feeding cups, even a corn-and-flower maze.
But come December, there’s only one main attraction: the Christmas Tree, which has been sold at Deep Roots for years.
The farm started back in 2019, after Stephen and Liv McDaniel made the trip out to West Michigan, never looking back.
“This community, particularly like Caledonia, Alto and Middleville, has just welcomed us with open arms,” said Liv McDaniel, owner of Deep Roots. “We love West Michigan. We grew up in Florida, and there's just something about the small-town feel here that's just special.”
So, this year when the farm had some overstock of trees for sale, instead of extending its season, they held a free tree giveaway to give back to the community that loves them.
“We just figured it's a hard time of year for a lot of people financially; there's a lot of people living paycheck to paycheck,” said Liv McDaniel. “Just being able to give back, we've been so fortunate. When we started this farm in 2019, I would have never dreamed ... that we would be here six years later. So just the opportunity to give back to the people that have constantly loved and supported us is special.”
The farm had ordered and planted an extra 60 trees that they decided to give away for free, on a first-come-first-serve basis.
“I think they were very blessed to, you know, share their blessings to all the community,” said Nora, one of the lucky people to get free trees.
They were able to spread some Christmas cheer for families like the Nelsons, who were surprised this donation even took place.
“I was expecting to come to buy a tree from their lot, and they say they're all free today,” said Michael Nelson. “Around the Christmas season, it's a weight off. It's one extra thing, maybe this one gets.“
Deep Roots Produce will reopen for the season in April or May of 2025, depending on the weather.
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