Source:  NCDA&CS, 11/23/10

North Carolinians looking for a real Christmas tree should have plenty to choose from this year because the crop is excellent, Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said today.

“It might be our best crop ever,” Troxler said at a news conference at the State Farmers Market. “Both the selection and the quality are very, very good. Despite drought in some parts of the state, our weather this year has been good for most of our tree growers. As a result, they have been able to harvest and handle the freshest trees possible.”

North Carolina’s 2010 Christmas tree harvest should top 5 million trees from more than 1,500 growers, Troxler said. North Carolina is the nation’s second-largest producer of real Christmas trees and had sales of $100 million in 2009.

“The quality of our Christmas trees is known throughout the country,” Troxler said. “This reputation for quality is growing in other countries, too. North Carolina Christmas trees are being exported to Central America and even Canada.”

Ninety-six percent of N.C. Christmas trees are Fraser firs, which are grown in the mountains. Farmers in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain grow pines, cedars and other varieties well-suited to warmer climates.
Customers can find trees at choose-and-cut farms, nurseries, garden centers, farmers markets and retailers across the state. To find a choose-and-cut tree farm or retailer, log on to www.ncfarmfresh.com or request a directory by calling the Marketing Division at the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services at (919) 707-3100.

“Choosing a real Christmas tree is a fun thing for the whole family to do,” Troxler said. “Plus, real Christmas trees are renewable. Each tree that is harvested is replaced with one or more new trees. And after the holidays, trees can be recycled as mulch or used as habitat for wildlife and fish.”