Ag Commissioner Steve Troxler applauds the 2010 N.C. Christmas tree crop, which could yield more than five million trees.
Last week, Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler held a press conference at the State Farmers Market to discuss the 2010 N.C. Christmas tree crop. Despite recent drought conditions, the annual crop looks very healthy and should top five million trees again.
North Carolina is the second-largest producer of Christmas trees in the United States, accounting for more than 12 percent of the real Christmas trees purchased in the country. There are more than 1,500 Christmas tree growers farming 35,000 acres from the mountains to the Coastal Plain. Fraser firs account for 90 percent of the N.C. Christmas tree market, but pine, cypress, cedar and spruce varieties are also available.
You can find N.C. Christmas trees at hundreds of choose-and-cut locations, as well as farmers markets, nurseries, garden centers and retailers across the state. To find a location near you, go to www.ncfarmfresh.com.