Christmas Tree Shortage

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Created on Friday, 01 December 2017 00:38

Written by Josh Caredeo

WHEELOCK- Friday marks December 1st, which signifies the time that families in the Northeast Kingdom start to shop around for conifers and balsam trees to fill their homes for the Christmas season. But, according to the National Christmas Tree Association, there may not be as big of a selection when you go to purchase a tree.

They report a national tree shortage for the 2017 season. The cause of the shortage can be traced back to the recession that occured over a decade ago. In addition to a shortage, the prices of the tress have increased about five to ten percent. I had the chance to speak with The Reverend Dr. Robert A. Potter, who, along with his son and grandson, operates the Pineberry Farm on Vertical Mile Road in Wheelock.

Potter says that the perfect tree takes about seven to ten years for a tree to be "perfect," which translates to about eight feet. Potter feels that with thhis in mind, it has gotten tougher to sell his stock of Christmas trees to the consumers of the Northeast Kingdom. " We believe the local market is not as vigorous as it were, understabily as it is in Southern New England." Potter went on to say that the average price for Christmas trees sold on farms in Southern New England is about one hundred dollars, while he sells his for about fifty to sixty dollars. To help with the shortage, the Pineberry Farm has been shipping some of their trees throughout the region and to states like New York and New Jersey.

For more on the farm, visit http://pineberryfarm.com/.