A Christmas tree farm is a type of tree farm where pine and fir trees are grown, purposely, for use as Christmas trees. Christmas tree farms can be found in many nations and across different continents. Some of the prominent producers of Christmas trees include the United States, Denmark, Canada and Great Britain. Natural Christmas trees do have their opponents, environmentalists cite concerns about chemical herbicide and pesticide use, as well as concerns about biodiversity, among the reasons for their opposition to Christmas tree farms. The industry presents itself as environmentally friendly.
Christmas tree farming can be a profitable business venture but often involves hard work and a lot of investment capital to get off the ground. Christmas trees are also vulnerable to numerous deadly pests and infections, including gall adelgids and sudden oak death. The crop's dependence on such environmental issues makes it a risky venture; after years of hard work one natural event can wipe out an entire crop. In the United States, where 35–40 million Christmas trees are grown and harvested annually, the industry was worth $506 million in 2004.
History
Main article: History of Christmas tree cultivationThe first Christmas tree farm in the United States is believed to have began in 1901 when 25,000 Norway Spruce trees were planted by W. V. McGalliard in Mercer County, near Trenton, New Jersey. The trees were sold seven years later for US$1.00 each. Despite the early pioneers of the industry, by 1940 90 percent of all natural Christmas trees sold in the United States were still harvested from forests. The most popular species during that era, Balsam Fir, Douglas-fir, Black Spruce and White Spruce, were all readily available from forests.
Following World War II more trees began to be planted in plantations. Other changes were taking place as well, in the late 1940s and early 1950s farmers began to sheer trees in respond to customer demands for denser trees. During the 1960s the market for Christmas trees in the United States began to change. Part-time growers declined, while some part-time growers ceased operations others expanded their operations and became full-time Christmas tree farmers. Expansion occurred in all major U.S. Christmas tree growing regions, Michigan, the Pacific Northwest and North Carolina. The number of plantings increased in the late 1970s and continued to do so into the 1980s. One species, Scots Pine was planted in numbers which far exceeded demand for the product. As the number of individual farmers increased better marketing strategies and promotion programs were developed. Helicopters became a fixture on large farms during the early 1980s as growers used them to move trees from the field to the shipping yard.
Cultivation
Main article: Christmas tree cultivationBefore the process of planting tree seedlings can begin Christmas tree cultivation involves pre-planting labor and has specific land requirements. Christmas tree farming was once seen as a viable alternative for low-quality farmland but that perception has changed within the industry. In general, land should be flat or gently rolling and relatively free of debris and undergrowth. Various other factors are important for Christmas tree farms concerning land and location, well-drained soil, proper pH, and appropriate soil type are among the factors. Growing Christmas trees is labor intensive and tasks such as land alteration, pest control and planting must all be completed. In addition, tree cultivation requires certain equipment, such as tractors, pesticide sprayers and shearing equipment.
Christmas tree farms are best located on relatively level land which is free of obstructions. In the past, Christmas tree farmers established their plantations on less desirable agricultural plots or "wastelands of agriculture". However, emphasis in modern Christmas tree farming has shifted toward the production of higher-quality trees, increasing land quality expectations as well. Indeed, some species of tree, such as the Fraser Fir, are unable to grow on low-quality, marginal farmland. Flat or gently rolling land is preferred to that with steep slopes and inclines, which is prone to erosion and fluctuations in fertility. Noticeable obstructions, such as rocks, fences or significant underbrush, are also undesirable.
The final stage of cultivation is harvest. Christmas tree farms can harvest trees in several ways, one of the more popular methods is the pick-your-own tree farm, where customers are allowed to roam the farm, select their tree, and cut it down themselves. This method eliminates much of the work associated with wholesale harvesting, where much of the cutting, and moving of the crop must be completed by the farmer. Other farmers cultivate potted trees, with balled roots, that can be replanted after use and recycled for use another year. Regardless of harvest methods, many jurisdictions have quality grades for Christmas trees, some compulsory others de facto.
Production
Main article: Christmas tree productionChristmas trees are produced worldwide on Christmas tree farms, in artificial tree factories and from native stands of pine and fir trees. Christmas trees, pine and fir trees purposely grown for use as a Christmas tree, are grown on plantations in many western nations, including Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. In Australia, the industry is relatively new, and nations such as the United States, Germany and Canada are among world leaders in annual production.
Great Britain consumes about 8 million trees annually, while in North America between 35 and 40 million trees are sold during the Christmas season. In 2004, the U.S. industry was worth about $506 million. Artificial Christmas trees are mostly produced in China. Christmas tree prices were described using a Hotelling-Faustmann model in 2001, the study showed that Christmas tree prices declined with age and demonstrated why more farmers do not price their trees by the foot. In 1993, economists made the first known demand elasticity predictions for the natural Christmas tree market.
Most of the natural Christmas trees used worldwide are grown on Christmas tree plantations. A small percentage of trees are harvested from existing forests. In British Columbia, about 900,000 trees are produced annually, and most of those come from native stands of pine and fir.
Profitability
One appeal of Christmas tree farms to growers is that it can be a profitable way to use low quality farmland, though this trend is changing within the industry. Christmas tree farms can turn a profit in as little as six years, and though some overhead in equipment and labor does exist Christmas tree production requires only small amounts of up-front capital. Each tree can cost land owners $5–10 from the time its planted as a seedling until it is harvested as a mature Christmas tree; that cost includes land costs, and costs accumulated through the growing process. In the early 21st century, Christmas tree farmers typically got annual returns of between $600–1,000 per acre of trees planted.
Christmas tree farming has initial costs associated with establishing the farm. Land, if unowned, must be purchased, as does equipment. Crop failures are also not uncommon which can negate years of work. Besides land, and pests, diseases and bad weather tree farmers must contend with costs associated with tractors and other equipment for planting, harvest and cultivation. Fences, storage buildings, worker protection and pesticide regulations also add to the expenses of Christmas tree farms.
Legal issues and status
The legal status and classification of Christmas tree farms, farm workers, and their resultant product varies by jurisdiction, as well as by purpose. In the U.S. state of Washington specific classifications exist for the purpose of state workers' compensation insurance. In Washington, Christmas tree farms are classified under one of two designations, "Farms," or "Nurseries."
The status of Christmas tree farms as actual, by definition, farms, and their products thus agricultural in nature, has evolved in the various government agencies responsible for such categorization. In both Canada, and the United States the governments take a regular Census of Agriculture, reporting in these censuses relies on the classifications. Beginning in 1996, the Canadian government included Christmas tree farms in its Census of Agriculture concerning the issue of net farm income and farm cash receipts. The changes also included the addition of egg hatcheries to the census. The results were marginal with net cash farm income rising just 0.1 percent.
In the United States the definition of "farm" has not changed since the 1974
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