St Helens farmer is giving a free baby Christmas tree to all babies born this year

A St Helens farmer is giving away a baby Christmas tree to every baby born this year.

It’s a favourite tradition that goes back around 50 years for Rainfords Farm and Christmas Trees in Eccleston – and owner Richard Rainford is hoping that hundreds of young parents will be in to collect theirs this year.

The idea is that the young tree grows as your newborn does:

“Although we had one lady in the other week saying her tree’s far outgrowing her seven-year-old child,” smiles Richard.  “But then they do grow around a foot every year!”

“It’s a lovely tradition that we started here decades ago, and one that we’ll always continue. There must be tens of thousands of trees growing all around the area as generations of families have planted their tree!

“It’s a way of marking a baby’s first Christmas and that’s something very special that we can be a part of.”

The saplings – this year Nordmann Firs – are all grown on Richard’s Catchdale Moss Lane farm, and it takes three years to get them to the size when they’re ready to be gifted out.

They can be planted in gardens or pots, ‘or somewhere random in a park where you can watch it grow’.

And Richard is always on hand to give advice about which soil to use, when to repot them, and more to ensure they thrive.

“We’ve had another person in this year who said their child is now 17 and their tree is still going strong. It’s a bit of a passion project for me.

“We normally give away about 1,500 trees every year and I think we do it because we have customers who have been coming here for years to get their main Christmas tree, generations of families, and they become like family to us,” explains Richard.

“That means something to us.  They mean something to us. And we don’t take that for granted.

“It’s a privilege to be such a big part of someone’s Christmas. It’s not just another day, it’s a very special time of year.”

Richard grows six varieties of trees, including Nordmann Firs, Norway Spruce, and Balsam Firs.

It’s currently tagging season where people can go and choose their tree and tag it to reserve it.

That tree can then be collected or delivered:

“People get in touch the day before they want their tree and we cut it down for them.

“Some people like to be here when the tree is felled and take it home straight away, and that’s such a lovely tradition too.”

Rainfords Farm and Christmas Trees is now open every day from 10am until 5pm, and until 4pm on Sundays, and its barn shop is filled to the rafters with all things festive from baubles and garlands to ornaments and tasty treats.

It’s holding wreath making workshops – using fresh fir from its trees – on Thursday and Friday, November 27-28, and Monday, December 1.

Parents of babies born after last Christmas can collect a free baby tree right up until this Christmas or until they run out: “But we don’t usually do that,” says Richard.

“So we’d love people to come and collect a baby tree and watch it grow over the years … and carry on a wonderful tradition.”

Find out more about Rainfords Farm here.

Find out what’s on across Liverpool this Christmas here.

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