This week on the FarmHouse, a podcast by Lancaster Farming, we're ushering in the holiday season with a special seasonal episode featuring an interview with Kelly Piccioni, Penn State's Christmas tree-focused Extension educator.
Piccioni comes from a family with roots in selling Christmas trees. Her great-grandfather began selling trees he bought off the Orange Car—a railway-side produce stand that opened in Reading, Pennsylvania, in the 1930s.
Her grandparents continued the tradition when they bought what is now the family's Christmas tree farm, Geissler Tree Farms.
"Christmas trees is pretty much where our family story really began," Piccioni said.
As Pennsylvania's sole Extension educator who specializes in Christmas trees, Piccioni's work takes her all over the state as she works with growers to overcome challenges like recent droughts.
"I've been out in Christmas tree fields more than I've really been in an office," Piccioni said, adding that she enjoys knowing her work contributes toward people's holiday traditions.
"People are excited this year to find that joy in Christmas," she said. "And Christmas tree growers think so hard all year long about what they can add to their farm or the customer experience to make it magical."
In addition to talking with Piccioni, we discuss family cookie-baking traditions, including German-inspired chocolate chip meringues and a debate over the correct thickness for sugar cookies.
We'll also touch on a couple holiday traditions from around the world, so join us for the tales of the Belsnickel and St. Lucia.
