The scent of fresh-cut pine fills the air as Jorge Garcia watches his children, ages 2 and 5, weave between rows of evergreens with their mother, searching for the perfect Christmas tree. It’s their first time at Battaglia Ranch as a young family, but he’s already planning to return next year.
“It just seems a little more authentic in a way,” Garcia said while picking out a tree with his family on Nov. 30. “You get to find your own tree and bring it in. We don’t live near the woods, so it kind of brings that nature aspect to it. I think it’s cool.”
For 58 years, local families have flocked to this seasonal San Martin destination where picking out a Christmas tree has become a multi-generational ritual. What began as a family-owned stone fruit operation more than a century ago transformed into a Christmas tree farm in 1968 when brothers Paul and Ed Battaglia decided to pivot their agricultural focus.
The Battaglia brothers still run the operation, maintaining both the South County location and farm facilities in Oregon that supply fresh trees in varieties that don’t grow as well in California soil.
Bryan Jarvis, Paul Battaglia’s nephew and employee of seven years, said the farm’s longevity stems from its commitment to the community.
“What I see them doing is always trying to keep in touch with the community,” Jarvis said. “That’s a huge part of why we still do this today.”
The ranch is more than just a plot of land with rows of trees. During the holiday season, it transforms into a family-oriented fairground, with attractions including a Christmas-themed train that circles the property, hot cocoa and other refreshments, a gift shop stocked with unique items including handmade wreaths, and an opportunity for kids to meet and take photos with Santa Claus.
“The ambience of this place, it’s a lasting memory that you’ll never forget,” Jarvis said.
Chris White knows that feeling well. The Salinas resident has been bringing family members to Battaglia Ranch for 15 years, first with his own children and now with his grandson.
“It’s tradition with the kids,” White said. “We did it when my son was little, and this is my grandson, so I want to kind of keep the tradition going.”
His son, C.J. White, remembers those childhood trips fondly.
“The kids feel a bit more proud putting the ornaments up” on a tree they chose themselves, he said.
The ranch offers two ways to take home a tree. Families can roam the property and cut down their own selection from three indigenous varieties—Monterey Pine, Leyland Cypress and Monterey Cypress—or choose from pre-cut firs shipped from the Battaglias’ property in Oregon. The pre-cut options include Noble, Nordmann, Douglas and Fraser Fir trees.
During peak season, the operation employs about 80 people handling everything from parking assistance to tree processing and guest services. While the ranch has gradually been preparing to ramp up for the Christmas season, its business really explodes after Thanksgiving, with a huge spike in customers looking for trees on Black Friday.
After selection, each tree goes through a shaking machine that removes dead needles and ensures no insects or other hitchhikers enter customers’ homes. The ranch also offers a variety of other services to enhance the tree once selected, from custom flocking in a variety of colors to an optional net to ease transportation.
“It’s all about making people feel like part of our family,” Jarvis said, adding that some repeat customers have been coming to Battaglia for their trees since 1968.
The ranch also participates in Trees for Troops, a nationwide program that provides Christmas trees to military families. Ken Newman, a volunteer with American Legion Post in Los Altos, has staffed the donation booth at Battaglia for several years with his wife and dog, collecting donations to purchase trees.
Once the farm closes for the season, donated trees are loaded into a FedEx trailer, which ships the trees for free to the Marine Corps base at Camp Pendleton. The base chaplain distributes them to military families who might otherwise struggle to afford holiday decorations.
“There’s a lot of poorer families that are in the military,” Newman said. “It helps them keep food on their table and still be able to enjoy Christmas, just like home.”
Last year, the program distributed around 50 trees to Camp Pendleton families. Similar setups operate across the country to benefit thousands of families. In 2024, the nonprofit distributed more than 16,000 trees to service members in all five branches.
For both returning families like the Whites and first-timers like Garcia, the appeal of a Christmas tree farm goes beyond just acquiring holiday decor. It’s about creating memories and preserving traditions in an era when convenience often takes precedent.
“It’s always been like a family experience for us to go pick out a tree,” he said. “I feel like it’s going to be a little more strong and memorable for us to cut it down ourselves.”
For the Battaglia family, now in their sixth decade of growing Christmas trees, those lasting memories are exactly the point.
“I try to know the names of everyone who comes back,” Jarvis said. “It’s all about the community. That’s just who we are.”
