Recession-proof trees

All that remains of last year’s jolly harvest are stumps scattered in the fields as the crush of holiday shoppers has abated, leaving Central Virginia’s next Christmas crop of pines and firs to grow in peace.

“We had a great season and, from what I’ve gathered talking to others, most everyone did, too,” said Virginia Carroll, of Claybrooke Farm in Mineral. “We really didn’t know what to expect, considering how the economy was during the holiday, but it turned out well. I think people were determined to make the Christmas tree a centerpiece of their holiday.”

There are more than 70 tree farms in Virginia that allow retail customers to cut trees on-site or sell wholesale to nonprofits and tree stands. Although Virginia officials do not track the sales or production of Christmas trees, anecdotal evidence indicates it was a pretty good year for sellers and growers.

“We sell fresh cut trees and the season was great for us,” said Yvonne Harris, of Afton Mountain Farm, Orchard and Garden Market, also known as AMFOG. “We sold every tree we brought in and I think, from what I’m hearing, everyone had a great year,” Harris said.

No figures have been compiled for the recent season, but officials from the Virginia Christmas Tree Growers Association estimate about 1.5 million Virginia-grown trees are sold each holiday for a wholesale value of about $25 million. Add in the value of wreaths and other decorations made from cuttings and clippings and the industry may top $50 million annually, officials said.

Information from the association indicates prices for cut-it-yourself trees vary from $20 to $60, with average retail costs around $40.

According to Associated Press reports, states as far away as Georgia and Florida showed sales as strong, if not better, than last year’s.

“Most of us have been doing this for years and we know Christmas trees are recession proof,” Perry DeWeese, a Georgia pine grower, told the AP. “Even if you can’t get many presents, everyone wants a beautiful Christmas tree.”

For some, sales were a touch off.

“It was down just a little bit, but that’s not really a bad thing,” said Elizabeth Samuels, of Foxfire Christmas Tree Farm, in Buckingham County. “We’re still functioning, we’re still growing and the people who come out are still having fun and that’s what it’s all about.”

Nelson County’s Davis Creek Farm Christmas tree operation sold fewer trees than last year, but owners say they are looking forward to next year and some possible changes.

“It was a good season and we sold about 16 trees less than we usually do, but that’s not too bad considering all of the economic news that was out there,” said Bill Thomas, farm manager. “You always want to improve every year and we’ve got some plans that should help us do that next year.”

One change the Thomases are considering is planting a new species.

“We’re looking at the concolor fir tree, which is a really pretty tree that makes a good Christmas tree,” Thomas said. “We mostly grow white pines, because the firs tend to grow too slow at our elevation.”

Thomas said he would take the winter easy and begin this spring to put new seedlings in for each tree cut down this past season. “We’re looking forward to it,” he said.

For the Carrolls in Louisa County, it’s time to plan before planting.

“It’s kind of a downturn time for the farm where we clean up the fields, inspect the equipment and replace what needs to be replaced,” Carroll said. “There’s some spring and summer planting to do later.”

The Carrolls will also plan out the extra holiday activities they throw at the farm during the Christmas season. They participated in the Trees for Troops program that sent Christmas trees to various military installations in country and out, and had special events at the farm during the holiday.

“We try to have some events for the families that are cutting trees, including a storybook time for young kids. We also had Santa Claus at the farm one weekend in his black farm boots and big, red coat and that was a lot of fun,” she said.

Carroll believes the events make the difference between cutting down an evergreen and finding a Christmas tree.

“We sell a wonderful product but we also provide an experience for people,” she said. “It’s a family holiday event and we want to share that with customers by making it special.”