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“Christmas

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ad!

‘By HUGH NASH
Review Staff Writer

There are not many places nearby

where a family can jump in the car, toss in

a saw and trundle off to chop down their
own Christmas tree. .

~But..on
Saanichton sits such a spot. Close to.100

~-Douglas and Grande fir trees, some six
‘feet or more tall, await people who want

to whack down their owntree.

|. The Saanichton Christmas Tree Farm i is.
“a family co-operative enterprise started

almost five years ago by Joan Fleming,
her. sister. Liz Thompson, brother Mike
and Dan Sieffert..

They bought 2,200, two-year-old, foot-
‘high seedlings from: B.C. Forest:Products

and, working weekends only because they
all have other jobs, planted the trees on

2 two and one- et of the five acres they

own.
‘Now, after years of  ateting and prun-

: ing, it’s time to recoup at least some of
their investment.

‘We wanted to farm in some way ‘or Es

other but if we had cows or other animals
we’d. be too ‘tied ~down,’’. Joan. said.
trees almost
themselves.’

Actually the trees: have had other than

+ human help i in their mission to become SO--
meone’ s. December aliving | room ‘centre:
f seca Bae :
‘Cutting the grass | up ‘and down then rows 5.
was very. time consuming so: 40° Black:
African and Toolouse geese were purchas-
_ed last spring. “A lot of. them must have —
been females: because now we have 100.of ae
hem keeping the grass down. And hawks_ z
and eagles’ ot. at least half of the goslings fs

the -northern — outskirts ».of |

look. after.

ACTIVE. ‘DISPOSAL
CYPRESS: DISPOSAL

: Wednesday, December 11, 1985 Page BI

Lookit them ‘geese go. ‘Liz Thompson, Dan Sieffert and Joan Fleming
- encourage the grass- cutting geese to clip and fertilize up and down the rows

of their Christmas tree farm on East Saanich Rd. *

: pound. youngsters butchered and- ready :
~ for sale the week before Christmas.

Not only did: ‘the geese, many of. which

won prizes at the Saanich Fair including :
solve’ the. grass-cutting
problem but they also went'a long way to.
. providing all the fertilizer the trees need--
eed: The farm already had a good soil base ~
as it had been a: mink farm: for years” .
before the tree farm started: :

Fleming said they. lost. Saly 10 per cent’ ee
of the: original, seedlings and have had no _.
-. problem with bugs or diseases: No sprays.
“or. other: chemicals. have been needed: or:

‘Best in Show’,

“Now c CONTROLLED AND: OPERATED BY i ae
anaes LAIDLAW. WASTE. SYSTEMS. eS ee
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. |

“The new trees; ready by. 1989, or sooner © {
- - if the geese continue todo good work, will : |
be balsam fir, Norway spruce, Colorado. |
Blue Spruce, western white pine and: jack aa

pine.

Long | ‘before: then, though, ‘the * small

barn beside the house will be spruced up.
~ and free hot coffee and juice will be ready —
for. “families. and friends. out to cut. ae
Christmas: ‘tree. . fects .
- This year, cutters should probably. ce oe
“ing along a pair of rubber boots in: which a
“to tromp up. and down looking. for their
tree. The walking is a little -wet since the ©

snow melted and the rains started and

~< Boy, —

YOUR CHRISTMAS

STORE

*DECORATIONS ¢ CARDS
AND MUCH MUCH MORE
“FREE PRESCRIPTION DELIVERY”

656-1148

Preparations are well under
way. for the North Saanich
School Evening of the Perform-
ing. Arts, slated for Monday,
Dec. 16.

The show, which is being pro-

duced by the school’s
Dandelion : Theatre Company,
will feature. several per-

--formances ‘by all levels of the

school band, the school choir

and a: drama/dance’ presenta- "
tion. stage. managed by. Tracey
choreographed: . by.

Hunter,
Melody Esselink,; and including
Becky. Overbeck,
Masters, Jennifer Douglas, Jen-
ny Owen, Nancy Shinnie, Tracy

Hein, and another presentation

directed and performed by pam

Spence and Tara Huggins all

members © of trek 8 “drama
classes.

A major aspect of the concert.

will be involvement. More than

300. students are ‘taking - part

with..a. number- appearing. in

- several performances.
: under the
 agirection of teacher Sue Reid,
‘will sing Silent. Night, Straw.
“Carol which includes a solo by —
Kelly ‘McGregor,

“Music. classes,

“Scott

Nicole :

‘well as

~ be performed — by»:

: ‘Sadlish,
Kathy Scott, Suzanne. Isacson,

Wendy ‘Smith, é le;

Bethlehem
Hard Rock: Holiday: LS
featuring : a ecial:

by Maurice Picton on drums,
Henderson on the
keyboard, Darryl! Allison, Anna

Caldwell, Edwin Bill, and Reese

Mack playing recorders; Kim:
Meadows, Karina Miller, Kaysa
Erickson and ‘Bernadette
Herbert playing ukuleles; Tim’.
Brownon the maracas; and Jeff
Wilson on the. xylophone.

Performances by the grade
six and grade eight bands, ‘under
the direction of Bill. Brennan,
will include a selection of old:
favorites such :as’. Jingle Bells,

Qld Macdonald’s: Farm, . and

Twinkle: Twinkle: Little Star as
many - less familiar ::

pieces. The grade eight band

will also play the popular song. .
Raiders of the Lost Ark. —

A’ dance presentation - to ac-

company Five Foot Two, Eyes.

of Blue which was choreograph-

ed. by Laura: Burrows © and:
: Leanne Lawson,

Parkland senior. secondary, will. .

_Ann- Louise _ Irving

Krista. Miller,

students. at

Heather. oe