ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) - Black Friday may be behind us, but for many families, the holiday season doesn’t truly begin until they pick out their Christmas tree. And for decades, one Roanoke Valley farm has been part of that ritual.

Hamill Christmas Tree Farm , founded more than 50 years ago, first began when Willard Hamill planted a handful of white pines behind the family’s home in the early 1960s. Those small plantings eventually grew into a full-scale operation that now welcomes families from across the region.

John Hamill, who runs the farm today, says the tradition started as something simple. “He started growing Christmas trees as a hobby,” Hamill said of his father.

Since then, the farm has become a seasonal destination. Generations of families return each year, including longtime c

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