Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler sits down each week with Southern Farm Network’s Rhonda Garrison to discuss “Today’s Topic.”
Even though Christmas decorations have been in stores since Halloween, the season for holiday greenery is kicking into high gear now.
Choose-and-cut tree farms are now open for families hoping to find the perfect Christmas tree for their house. Trees also are available at farmers markets, tree lots and retailers.
The 2015 tree harvest should be another good one, despite all the wet weather in late September and early October. In fact, the rain helped by replenishing moisture after the hot, dry summer.
North Carolina ranks second in the nation in Christmas tree production. There are more than 1,400 Christmas tree growers working about 40,000 acres and harvesting between 4 million and 5 million trees each year. Christmas trees account for between $75 million and $100 million in farm income.
A wide variety of trees are grown in North Carolina. The Fraser fir is the dominant Christmas tree produced in the state. The elevation and climate in western counties create perfect growing conditions for this tree. But North Carolina growers also produce blue spruce, red cedar, white pine and a number of different cypress trees.
You can find Christmas trees, poinsettias and other holiday greenery by searching the website, www.ncfarmfresh.com.
To hear Commissioner Troxler and Rhonda talk about North Carolina Christmas trees, click on the audio player below.
[Audio:/wp-content/uploads/Troxler_12-1-15.mp3|titles=Today’s Topic for Dec. 1]
Southern Farm Network is a division of Curtis Media Group.