Taylor Swift Recalls Her Upbringing on a Christmas Tree Farm: “It Was a Weird Place to Grow Up”

When someone reveals that they "grew up on a Christmas tree farm," it's a statement that might initially raise eyebrows but is generally taken at face value. After all, who would make up such an unusual backstory? However, when that same person, in this case, Taylor Swift, proceeds to elaborate on their experiences involving a "gingerbread house" and a "yummy gummy gumdrop forest," skepticism might arise, leading to questions about the authenticity of their fairytale-themed anecdotes.

Taylor Swift reiterated her upbringing on an actual Christmas tree farm during the release of her single, Christmas Tree Farm. Back in 2014, Swift humorously explained that her father, in his leisure time, would often refer to their property as a farm, despite his actual role as a finance professional. In an interview with Esquire, she talked about her childhood on the farm saying, "It was such a weird place to grow up. But it has cemented in me this unnatural level of excitement about fall and then the holiday season." She added on a hilarious note, "My friends are so sick of me talking about autumn coming. They're like, "What are you, an elf?"

Swift's own responsibilities included picking out praying mantis pods to prevent them from hatching inside people's homes. While her parents weren't traditional farmers (her father worked at Merrill Lynch and purchased the farm from a client), a strong sense of holiday anticipation seems to run in her family.

Before making the move to Nashville, Tennessee, to support Taylor's budding career when she was only 14, the Swift family lived in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, and owned an expansive 11-acre Christmas tree farm. Taylor's father, Scott, worked as a stockbroker, and her mother, Andrea, was a former marketing executive turned stay-at-home mom.

This particular farm has made appearances in Swift's work, such as the ME! music video and during her Reputation tour. Most recently, it served as a focal point in her latest video for Christmas Tree Farm, where vintage VHS footage showcased the farm's nostalgic charm. In fact, the cover photo for the single includes a small sign hanging from a wooden gate that reads "Pine Ridge Farm."

Curiously, a search for "Pine Ridge Farm" yields results for Pine Ridge Farm in Stewartson, Pennsylvania, which functions as a picturesque wedding venue not far from Swift's childhood home. However, this particular Pine Ridge has been a part of the Fowler family for generations. But the same search also uncovers a Facebook page for Pine Ridge Christmas Tree Farm in Reading, PA. This farm allows visitors to cut their own Christmas trees for a fee of around $40. Notably, this location is just a 17-minute drive from Swift's childhood residence.

In essence, there exist several Pine Ridge Farms in Pennsylvania, giving ardent Taylor Swift fans the opportunity to not only select and cut down their own Christmas trees but even potentially hold a wedding ceremony at similarly named venues. This intriguing interplay between Swift's holiday memories and the real-world locations that correspond to her narratives adds a layer of whimsy to her already unique upbringing.