Connecticut Christmas tree farmers say there will be a shortage of local evergreens for sale this year.
It’s been a tough decade for local Christmas tree farmers. That’s a problem because it takes about ten years to grow a tree for harvest.
Kathy Kogut, executive director of the Connecticut Christmas Tree Growers Association, says the state has about 400 Christmas tree farms and many didn’t have the money to plant trees after the 2008 recession. Seasons of drought and flooding also caused die-off.
“Connecticut hasn’t been able to meet the demand with the supply that they have for several years now. So we’re telling our folks to please get out there early so they’re not disappointed that they can’t get the type of tree that they want and the size tree that they need.”
Kogut says the demand for local trees is growing along with the demand for local food – millennials especially look for more “green” options with a lower carbon footprint.