Massive influx of Christmas trees provides farm animals with tasty treat

At Wells Hill farm in Weston, leftover Christmas trees are the main course – a treat for goats and sheep that live there.
Farm owner Michelle Fracasso says there isn’t much pasture or fresh forage during the winter and calls the Christmas trees a “tasty alternative.”
She says the trees are a shakeup to their diet that is good for their digestion and loaded with vitamin C and antioxidants.
Wells Hill started taking in trees from the community to recycle them a few years ago and saw a larger influx due to the pandemic.
“The Weston Warmup Fund usually holds an annual bonfire in Weston right after the season and they were unable with COVID to do that this year, so we found a lovely solution to all those Christmas trees,” she says.
Fracasso says there are 30 trees on the farm so far, with many more to come. When the goats and sheep are done eating, what's left of the trees is recycled in the woods.
The farm doesn't take any Christmas trees with tinsel, decorations or fire retardant.