Bella Barajas, left, of China, Maine drags a tree she cut while selecting Christmas trees with her family, following in the background, at Pinkham’s Tree Farm in Vassalboro on Sunday. Family members with Barajas are from left, her dad Issac Barajas, mother Heather Barajas and sister Brailee Barajas.  Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel

VASSALBORO — Business is booming at Pinkham’s Treefarm. In its first weekend this year, the family business sold about half the amount of trees they sold all last year. Perhaps more important to its owners however, are the trees they won’t sell.

Jeff Pinkham, who founded the farm about 25 years ago and has run it with his family ever since, estimates he’ll sell about 400 trees this year, much more than in years prior.

He will also likely donate more trees to veterans and their families this year than in years past, he says.

Pinkham’s is one of many farms in Maine to take part in “Trees for Troops,” a charitable effort in which tree farms from across the country donate hundreds of Christmas trees to military bases and veterans’ families.

The farm will likely donate between 30 to 40 trees to the program this year, Pinkham said.

Harper Colson, 4, shakes fresh snow off a Christmas tree Sunday while walking around Pinkham’s Tree Farm with her brother, Gabe Colson, 1, and mother, Jessica Colson, in Vassalboro. The trio and their family own and operate Pinkham’s Tree Farm. (Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel) Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel

“Everybody chips in what they can. If a farm only has five spare trees, they donate five spare trees. This is looking like a good year for us,” Pinkham said, looking out over the hundreds of trees dotting the hills of his farm. And when Pinkham and his family prepare Trees for Troops, “We even put in ornaments and decorations, the Maine farmers do. No other state does that.”

“We’ve gotten cards from Texas and Pennsylvania and from where our trees have gone all over, thanking us for that little extra bit of work.”

Since starting the tree farm, Pinkham has been helped by three generations of family. His children and grandkids come to help cut down, tie up and sell trees each year, and were running through the snow-dusted rows of trees on Saturday morning.

“My grandmother used to make them for the church in Fairfield, and I would go help. I was so little, I’m surprised I still remember,” Pinkham’s girlfriend, Rhonda Shirley-Spencer said, laughing. “And now I’ve been doing it here for, gosh, I don’t know how many years.”

Shirley-Spencer said she has been creating wreaths for farm customers for years, and for her own family even longer. To her, much like Pinkham, the farm and its trees symbolize family tradition just as much as the Christmas holiday.

“You see the same faces every year — sometimes it’s the only time you see them all year,” Pinkham said. “But you see the kids grow up, you see your friends over the years, and honestly it’s just really nice. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be. Nothing else I’d rather be doing.”

Jennifer Pfleging of Vassalboro carries a wreath she bought Sunday at Pinkham’s Tree Farm in Vassalboro, along with the Christmas tree that has been loaded into the pickup truck. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel