With the exception of St. Nick, perhaps nothing stimulates the holiday spirit like the scent of a fresh-cut Christmas tree in a cozy home.

A quick trip to a local retail store such as Lowe’s or Fred Meyer, or a nonprofit roadside Christmas tree stand can satisfy these seasonal sensory desires. But there’s another option for more adventurous souls: Cut your own.

With 60 sprawling acres of manicured trees ready for “picking,” Rusty Gate Tree Farm in Harrison is one of only a few remaining Christmas tree farms in North Idaho.

Offering cut-your-own and freshly pre-cut trees, John and Lynette Myhre have been selling Christmas trees on their farm since around 1995.

“We’re a mom and pop operation,” says Lynette.

With a limited local inventory of Christmas this year, the Myhres say they’re expecting a good season.

“There’s definitely a shortage,” Lynette said. Years ago, there were several Christmas tree farms in Kootenai County. Today, only Rusty Gate remains.

That means slim pickings, not just locally but across the country, according to the National Christmas Tree Association (NCTA). In part, it’s the delayed result from the recession of a decade ago.

Family-owned Christmas tree farms were adversely affected by the 2009 economic meltdown, the NCTA said. Because of the tight-money economy at that time, some farms didn’t plant, and many slowly sold off inventory and went out of business.

Those impacts are just now being felt because it takes an average of eight to 12 years to grow a Christmas tree.

However, the Myhres said they have plenty of trees to meet local demand.

“We’ve had to cut back on wholesale orders from outside the area because there are fewer trees. Every week we get calls for trees and we can’t supply all the demand,” Lynette said. “We used to sell further and wider but we’re keeping the inventory for local sales.”

The Myhres offer a variety of Christmas trees, but the most abundant and heartiest is the Nordmann fir.

“It’s our most popular. It’s a really beautiful Christmas tree,” Lynette said. “It holds its needles really well and is resistant to drought.”

The growers say about half their customers venture into the farm to cut their own tree. The rest purchase fresh-cut trees. The price is the same: $50 for trees 5-10 feet and $75 over 10 feet.

Rusty Gate also grows Grand fir, Turkish fir and some Colorado blue spruce.

Lynette described their tree farm as a small operation with some assistance from their sons and a few seasonal “local folks” who help out.

“It’s a lot more work than people think,” she says of growing Christmas trees. “A lot of people think you just plant them and watch them grow, but there’s a lot more to it than that.” This includes providing an adequate water supply, regular pruning and general maintenance.

Beyond trees, the couple also sells wreaths for $35.

While visitors can experience the adventure of cutting their own tree at Rusty Gate, the business is a no-frills operation.

“We hand out free candy canes to the kids and will have campfires, but we don’t sell food,” she said. “Some families will bring hot chocolate.”

Tending to their trees at Rusty Gate is a labor of love, the couple says. While Lynette works full time away from the family business, John is devoted to the farm.

“I support my husband’s farming habit,” she laughs.