The demand for live Christmas trees from Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin is up. Image: College of Agriculture & Natural Resources, Michigan State University
By Sammy Schuck
With stores already in the full swing of the Christmas season, many people are already thinking about the centerpiece of decorations: the real Christmas tree.
Due to COVID-19, there has been increased demand for real trees, a trend predicted to carry through this season as well.
According to the Christmas Tree Promotion Board based in Howell, Michigan, the industry is projected to have a successful season this year at the national level.
But what’s the forecast for growers in the Great Lakes region?
According to the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center, three Great Lakes states are among the top five producers nationwide.
Michigan is third with 1.3 million trees sold. Pennsylvania follows in fourth with 839,000 trees, and Wisconsin ranks fifth with 657,000 trees.
Each of those states has an industry association that works with its growers.
According to Penn State Extension, Pennsylvania generates over $22 million in sales each year.
Russell Wagner, the president of the Pennsylvania Christmas Tree Growers Association in Harrisburg, said that while many trees stay in the state, a lot go to urban areas of New Jersey, Washington, D.C and New York City.
Amy Start, the executive director of the Michigan Christmas Tree Association in Durand, estimated that the state’s industry is worth between $35-$37 million annually and consists of 37,000 acres.
“We have a very large wholesale market,” Start said. While there are smaller “choose and cut farms,” which are more about the experience of picking and cutting a tree with family, there are some large Christmas tree farms in Michigan.
In fact, wholesale farms sold out their annual crop quickly, in Spring 2021, Start said
With Oregon the nation’s biggest producer, the recent wildfires out West have led some people to question if there will be enough trees for the season.
“The wildfires, obviously they don’t help. There’s now trees that aren’t able to be harvested,” Start said, adding that some states have experienced problems with droughts.
“Putting that all together, it makes Michigan’s trees a little bit more desired. People may have lost a farm, say out in Oregon, where they used to get trees from, or one in North Carolina, and now they’re looking to Michigan for those trees,” Start said.
Insect pests are another challenge that has affected production in North Carolina, according to Greg Hann, the promotions director of the Wisconsin Christmas Tree Producers Association in Portage.
For two years now, North Carolina, the second-biggest producer in the U.S., couldn’t ship trees to other states due to a bug problem.
Wisconsin has felt the effect of that, Hann said, and sales of its trees now have more of a national range, with about 10% sold nationally. This also helps narrow the shortage of trees from Oregon.
The Christmas tree industry is also dealing with non-environmental challenges.
For example, Start said that during the Great Recession from 2008-11, many growers either retired or left the business, meaning fewer seedlings planted.
“There was a huge reduction in planting at that time. Because it takes eight-to-10 years to grow a Christmas tree, we’re seeing that effect now,” Start said. “That’s one of the reasons you’re seeing tightening in the market.”
Despite the lingering question of “will there be enough trees?” leaders of the state associations say they’re confident that it won’t be a problem.
Tony Stefani, the vice president of the Michigan Christmas Tree Association and the owner of Hillside Christmas Tree Farm in Manchester, said “I think everyone that’s going to want a tree is going to be able to find one. It may not be the 15-foot fir they might want. It might be a little smaller, but I think trees will be available.”
Hann also said that while consumers “might have to look elsewhere,” they should be able to find a live tree.
However, Wagner said that groups that resell Christmas trees, such as churches and Boy Scout troops, have had trouble finding trees this year, meaning fewer such groups will be selling them,
Last year, many farms saw record sales, Stefani says. He attributes that to buyers being cooped up indoors and anxious to get out and do things outside.
Hann also noticed that in Wisconsin, saying, “We had a phenomenal selling year last year with everyone being at home and COVID. I think it’ll be the same if not better than last year. I think people are still home. I think they still want to do activities with their kids, with their family.”
Start said there were “a lot of new people getting into having a real Christmas tree for the first time, or taking their family to a farm for the first time.”
In fact, the Christmas Tree Promotion Board surveyed people who tried a tree for the first-time last year and found that 85% reported wanting a real one again.
Millennials are another reason for increased demand.
Start said, “One of the things with our growing market is young people like to know where their products come from. They like the real Christmas tree aspect because it’s natural.”
“I think millennials are more in tune with the environment and want to make sure that they have products that are renewable and recyclable,” Start added.
She said growers are optimistic and “are anticipating large numbers this season.”
As for his own farm, Stefani said, “We’re all excited about a good season.”