MISSAUKEE COUNTY- 25 to 30 million real Christmas trees are sold every year in the U.S. according to the National Christmas Tree Association.
This year Northern Michigan tree farmers may see a boost in sales, specifically those sending trees to other states. But it’s not all good news for tree growers everywhere.
“When I heard about that news I was just devastated, you might have to start fresh,” said Helsel.
The devastating news Isabel Helsel, a Missaukee County Christmas tree farmer is talking about is hurricane Helene’s impact on North Carolina Christmas tree farmers.
According to the North Carolina Christmas Tree Association, Christmas tree farmers harvest 3-million trees per year. They estimate an annual revenue of 144 million dollars in sales.
But with the hurricane demolishing numerous tree farms, this year’s sales won’t hit that dollar mark.
The recovery is a long process.
“If you got all your crops destroyed with trees that you planted from ten years ago to last year, that are all gone, you have to start fresh, and you might not have trees readily available for ten years,” said Helsel.
That’s a hard pill to swallow for North Carolina Christmas tree growers, but it brings about a potential economic boom for northern Michigan growers ready to ship out trees for the holiday season.
And for locals, supporting area Christmas tree farms helps boost the economy and makes a big impact on the community.
“When you come to a local tree farm, I always say that no matter where you are, you should try to pick one of the smallest tree farms that you can, because that going to have the biggest impact, you’re giving it right to the family,” Helsel exclaims.
When you do decide to make your way to the tree farm, Helsel said choose the freshest trees for the holiday season, those will last the longest.
Here’s what you need to do to care for your Christmas tree.
“So, one of the things that we do recommend is a lot of people have allergies to trees, so we always take our tree, and we hose it off. That helps to remove any of the pollen and the stuff that the tree gets from sitting in the field, said Helsel. “Then we always make sure we have a fresh cut on the bottom, because if you don’t have a fresh cut, the tree can’t absorb any of the water.”
When it comes time to get rid of your tree, you can take it to a drop-off recycling center, burn it in a bonfire, or check with the Department of Natural Resources who may pick up the tree and dispose of it for you.
