My minister's sermon last Sunday focused on finding our inner Divine child and he mentioned the sense of wonder that our earliest memories of Christmas conjure up.

For me the smell and glow of a Christmas tree early on Christmas morning is a heavenly image without equal.

As readers of this blog already know, I like to buy from local agricultural producers. The products are fresher, I invest my money locally by buying locally, the energy costs of delivering the product are substantially lower, and often the cost to me is competitive and/or cheaper. I like that.

With all that in mind, I can not bear to pay some corporate giant for a Christmas tree that has been trucked in across several states (at least) and has had plenty of time to dry out. Whether here in Florida or near my wife's hometown in western New York state, we like to go to a Christmas tree farm and cut our own.

This is where Bill Dubois comes in. Bill and his wife own a you-cut Christmas tree farm west of Gainesville. They sell sand pines (our preference), red cedars, Leland Cypress, and a few Carolina Sapphires. They also have potted trees for those who want to replant their tree after Christmas. Bill's operation is a sustainable farming operation and new trees are planted each year to replace those that are harvested.

Directions: Farm located at 7818 NW SR45, High Springs, FL 32643, west of Gainesville at intersection of SR 41/27 and CR 232, midway between Newberry and High Springs.

Our suggested route is to take Millhopper Road (Rte. 232) west to Rte. 241. Turn north on 241 and go a mile or so. Turn left onto 232 and follow it to the intersection with Hwy. 41/27. Bill Dubois's farm is on the northwest corner of the intersection. This route is one of the most beautiful roads in north Florida and I highly recommend you follow my directions to Bill's farm.

One note, be sure to put your tree in water immediately on getting home so that the fresh cut will allow transfer of water from your bucket or tree stand. Otherwise, the sap will coagulate and you will need to trim the bottom again to hydrate your tree.

Open:The day after Thanksgiving to December 24, daily, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. 352-628-5383.