No Christmas tree shortage in Carbon

It’s a big weekend for Christmas tree growers in the greater Carbon County area.

And while nationwide reports say there are fewer natural Christmas trees available this year, local farmers say shoppers will have plenty of options this month when they’re looking for that perfect tree for their home.

“There might be a shortage, but not in Pennsylvania,” said Lee Walker, whose family has owned Walker Tree Farm in Franklin Township for 97 years.

The National Christmas Tree Growers Association made waves when it reported there will be fewer trees on the market this holiday season. It’s been blamed on shortages at farms in North Carolina and Oregon, two big Christmas tree producing states.

But with more than a half-dozen farms selling thousands of trees each year right here in Carbon, farmers say there are numerous opportunities for shoppers to choose and cut their own tree.

“I have not seen any shortage from Pennsylvania tree growers, but the ripple effect from everybody else being short, everybody who is used to getting trees out of North Carolina and out of the West Coast are now looking to Pennsylvania for trees,” said Chris Botek of Crystal Spring Tree Farm in Mahoning Township.

In many areas of the country, trees are bought wholesale and shipped in. This year, there were fewer trees available on the wholesale market. The smaller supply could lead to higher prices if you buy a natural tree from a lot or grocery store.

“If a consumer is going to a tree lot, one that is purchasing trees from a grower, I would say that they can expect to pay a little more this year,” Botek said.

One factor that has been blamed for the shortage of trees is the fact that they take 10 years to grow — and 10 years ago the country was entering a recession. But there are other factors at work.

Jim Campbell of Columbia County sits on the Pennsylvania Christmas Tree Growers Association board. He said that for the past decade, he has seen the wholesale market diluted by low-cost trees from large corporate farms in North Carolina. He saw it firsthand at the Buffalo Valley Christmas Tree Auction in Mifflinburg, where tens of thousands of wholesale trees are sold each year.

“There were guys selling wholesale for $10 or $15, and we couldn’t grow them for that,” Campbell said. “Now those trees have all dried up.”

That surplus on the wholesale market made it tougher for family farms in Pennsylvania to compete on the market, but now they are finding that there are more buyers interested.

“It’s good for Pennsylvania. It’s good for the small farmer,” Campbell said.

Local farmers say they have been getting more calls looking for wholesale trees — Fraser fir in particular. But they’re saving them for retail customers, which makes business sense for the farmer, and means a better selection for the customer.

Christmas tree farms in Carbon County don’t just sell a product — they sell the experience of getting out in nature, picking a tree. At Walker’s, there is a food stand, horse-drawn wagon rides, and other activities for kids to adults.

Of course, the highlight of the experience at a local tree farm is finding that perfect tree for the family.

“I have beautiful fields just waiting. I haven’t touched them for wholesale. And they’re just waiting for our choose-and-cut customers,” Botek said.