KPLC 7 News, Lake Charles, Louisiana |Shortage Of Christmas Tree Farms

Shortage Of Christmas Tree Farms

November 30, 2004
Reported by Mika Highsmith

Gray Anderson says his business is flourishing, because he doesn't have much competition. Over the past few years, three Christmas tree farms have gone out of business in our area alone. Anderson says, "There's a lot of work involved in it, and it gets to be too much. They've done it as kind of a hobby and a supplemental income; but the work goes on all year, and the income's only part time."

The problem is nationwide. Membership in the Christmas Tree Association for Louisiana and Mississippi combined has dropped from 140 members to under 40. Anderson says,"Because of that, we're merging with Alabama whose numbers have also dropped." And if they continue to fall, it may be the end of a much-needed association. Anderson says, "That let's people like me do my job and not worry about what's happening or what chemicals we use."

After being in the business for eight years, he's worried about the future of Christmas tree farms and offers this solution:  "The first thing is education for our kids. Artificial trees aren't good for our environment. They're produced out of synthetic material which are toxic and end up filling up landfills. Christmas trees are a renewable resource that we wouldn't have if people don't buy real trees. Obviously tree farmers would go out of business, because we have to be able to sell them to produce them."

And there are other benefits: "The Coastal Preservation uses a lot of Christmas trees each year to make breaks to keep coastal erosion down, and they're used to make mulch."

One possible reason for the decline of live tree sales could be artifical trees; those sales are going up.