GREEN VALLEY - Snow-covered trees stand in the field with the hum of the wind and the plop of snow falling off branches as company. But listen closely, and coming around the bend you're sure to hear footsteps and laughter as a family traipses through the snow in search of the perfect Christmas tree.

The first significant snowfall arrived in Central Illinois toward the end of opening weekend for area Christmas tree farms. Though a blanket of whiteness means workers have to bundle up more and trees need to be shaken free of snow, people who want a real tree from the country still will show up, said Susan Frank, co-owner of Talbott's Christmas Tree Farm in Green Valley.

"Snow doesn't seem to slow anyone down," Frank said. "It gets everybody in the Christmas spirit."

Though ice is a different story - farms have closed because ice makes it more difficult to cut down a tree - Christmas tree operations are more likely to stay open with snow, especially if road conditions are OK, said Don Phillips, co-owner of Phillips Christmas Trees in Heyworth.

Maybe that snow simply adds to the experience that draws city and country folks to the tree farms anyway.

Though snow can brush off easily, the covering makes it harder to eyeball a tree and make sure it's the right choice, Phillips said. Nonetheless, those who braved the elements on the first day snow arrived Sunday enjoyed the opportunity to play on his four acres, he said.

"A lot of the kids were throwing snowballs and having fun," Phillips said.

Local Christmas tree farms offer people, especially those who live in town, a chance to enjoy country life. The experience might involve a walk through the field to find that perfect tree or maybe a tractor-drawn ride. Families often have the option to cut their own tree or stand by as workers saw it down.

Talbott's offers tractor-trailer rides to help people get around 50 acres of cut-your-own trees. Some visitors want the ride just for fun when the tree they selected is close enough they don't need help, Frank said.

Some families even have taken their Christmas card pictures at the farm, she said.

Families take pride in cutting their own tree and pulling it with a rope at Blanks Ever-Green Acres in Creve Coeur, said owner Jan Blank. His offer to help when snow is on the ground at his 10-acre farm even has been turned down in the past.

Basically, buying a tree is a happy experience, said Jay Goold, co-owner of Trees N' Trim in Fairbury.

"It's the whole experience," said Goold, who has 20 acres of trees. "It's a once-a-year thing. People look forward to it."

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Area tree farms

The following is a list of area tree farms. For more information, visit www.christmastree.org, www.ilchristmastrees.com or www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/trees.

Talbott's Christmas Tree Farm

Address: 14143 Christmas Tree Road, Green Valley

Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through Dec. 23

Trees: Scotch, white and red pines; Canaan, concolor and Douglas firs; and white, blue and Black Hills spruces. Pre-cut Scotch and white pines and imported Fraser fir.

Web site: www.talbotttrees.com

Phillips Christmas Trees

Address: 14668 E. 450 North Road, Heyworth

Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday through Sunday, or by appointment, through Dec. 21

Trees: Scotch and white pines; Colorado blue, Eastern white and Norway spruces; and Douglas fir.

Trees N' Trim

Address: 22861 E. 1000 North Road, Fairbury

Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday until Christmas

Trees: Scotch and white pines, imported Fraser firs.

Blanks Ever-Green Acres

Address: 290 Morton St., Creve Coeur

Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, by appointment Monday and Tuesday, through Christmas

Trees: Scotch and white pines, Canaan and Douglas firs and Norway spruce.

Real Evergreen

Address: 1764 East 1525 North R.R. 1, LeRoy

Hours: 4 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday through Dec. 20

Trees: Imported balsam, Douglas and Fraser firs. Some taller white pines grow at the farm.

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What's in a name?

Here's a rundown of some Christmas tree options:

Scotch pine: Scotch pine has an open appearance and is known for its stiff branches, which are well suited for heavy ornaments. The bright green or dark green tree has excellent needle retention and keeps its aroma through the season.

White pine: White pine has soft needles with good-to-excellent needle retention. The bluish-green tree has a full appearance and slender branches that support a fewer number of smaller decorations. It has little aroma but also is reported to result in fewer allergic reactions.

Douglas fir: Douglas fir has soft needles that are dark green or blue green and branches that are spreading and dropping. It has a sweet fragrance often used in potpourri.

Canaan fir: Canaan fir has a symmetrical shape, soft needles with fair retention and a good fragrance.

Fraser fir: Fraser fir is dark blue-green. It has good needle retention, pyramid-shaped strong branches and a nice scent.

Colorado blue spruce: Colorado blue spruce is a bluish-gray symmetrical tree with fair-to-good needle retention and a fair fragrance. Its stiff branches support heavy ornaments.

White spruce: The white spruce is bluish-green to green, has a natural shape and is excellent for ornaments. Needle retention is better than other spruces.

Norway spruce: The Norway spruce is dark green with a strong fragrance. Its needle retention is poor without good care.

SOURCES: www.christmastree.org, www.ilchristmastrees.com, www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/trees