Today and tomorrow many Christmas tree farms and retailers will open up for the season. Sales were down last year, but sellers are hoping to reverse that trend this year.
Sam Minturn heads up the California Christmas Tree Association. He says last year things started out with a bang and finished with a whimper. But he’s more hopeful heading into this season
“We think people have kind of adapted, cut back where they need to and we still think they’ll get a tree for Christmas.”
The Association represents more than 300 tree farms and retailers. Minturn says it’s tough for them to adapt to changes in the economy because trees take anywhere from four to 15 years to reach the right size. He says this year prices are not likely to go up. Minturn says there’s a glut of trees at retail lots because Oregon farmers planted too many about six years ago. He says 90 percent of live Christmas trees sold in California come from out of state.
