Cotley Farm Christmas encourages visitors to ‘Keep it Real’
Cotley Farm Christmas is inviting visitors to its East Devon Christmas tree farm to join their ‘Keep it Real’ campaign. Encouraging them to not only join in the festive family activities held at the farm, but opt for a real tree this Christmas.
The benefits of a real Christmas tree from a local producer and supplier can far outweigh that of a plastic tree, which will ultimately end in a landfill without ever decomposing. The carbon footprint is much lower than a plastic tree and there are no air miles with a Cotley Christmas tree as the trees are grown in fields near the farm. For each tree farmed and sold at the Christmas tree farm near Whimple in Devon, another is planted for a future harvest. Potted Christmas trees with roots are available to buy; meaning they can grow outside and can be reused again year after year.
Helen Bowker, owner of Cotley Farm Christmas, said; “We’re really excited about our latest Keep it Real campaign. Promoting sustainability and ensuring our Christmas trees make as little negative impact to the planet as possible is something we really want to shout about. We plant a new tree for every one we harvest and we’d love for all our visitors to buy a real tree from us this Christmas and share our passion for real trees and helping save the planet.”
Providing the ultimate Christmas experience is something owners Helen and Lester Bowker are extremely passionate about. Transforming their farm into a magical winter wonderland is an event they look forward to each year. This year, three new reindeer are being introduced to the herd and visitors can see the new additions as they take up residence in the Reindeer Lodge for winter. The Cotley Christmas shop is also ready and bursting with West Country produce, and overflowing with unique gifts and decorations which give truly festive feel. The family run farm has also recently carried out a small survey which returned some encouraging results. Over 85% of visitors return annually with their families for the complete festive experience. This is a real testament to their business model, especially as retail industry continues to suffer and with many large retailers openly reporting a decline in footfall.
Helen adds; “We’re passionate about keeping a very traditional feel to our Christmas offering and it’s heartwarming to read that so many people consider visiting us a seasonal family tradition. Lester and I love seeing families return to the farm year on year and seeing the children grow. Welcoming new additions to those families to our winter wonderland brings us such joy. Hearing comments such as ‘you’re the highlight of our Christmas’ makes what we do all the more worthwhile. We hope the magic of Christmas at Cotley is passed on for generations to come.”
Cotley Farm Christmas is celebrating 16 years in business this year, proving how popular the festive experience of visiting a local Christmas tree farm is and how it continues to grow and spread festive cheer to the people of Devon and beyond.
Cotley Farm Christmas will open its doors to the public on Friday 29th November.
By making this Christmas a Cotley Farm Christmas, families across Devon can be assured that they are making a difference to the planet with their real Christmas tree and also supporting an independent local business and the local economy through a Christmas experience like no other.
For more information, visit the website at www.cotleychristmas.co.uk
