The Christmas tree industry might prove its resiliency in the wake of a North Woods drought, national recession and a reduction in the number of trees harvested.

Growers and retailers say they are optimistic about sales of natural trees this season. Many are holding the line on prices and some are cutting back on more expensive trees but believe this season can be favorable.

"It's hard to predict whether people will buy what they usually buy. They may buy less expensive trees," said Cheryl Nicholson, executive secretary of the Portage-based Wisconsin Christmas Tree Producers Association. "If they can't afford what they typically get, they may buy something cheaper. You don't always cut out, you cut back."

Wiscon-sin ranks fifth nationally in Christ-mas trees harvested but has seen the number of harvested trees drop 41 percent to 950,440 trees in 2007 compared with 1.6 million in 2002.

Oregon leads the nation with 6.8 million harvested in 2007, down 6 percent from 2002, according to the most recent data from the National Christmas Tree Association.

The data also show that Christmas tree acreage in Wisconsin has dropped 30 percent, to 33,458 acres, from 2002 to 2007. The trend reflects, in many cases, longtime family operations where the owners have been unable to persuade their children to continue the tradition, said Nicholson, whose family may be an example.

Her father, Robert Mountford, has 110 acres near Poynette, Wis., and has been growing trees since 1957. Now in his 70s, it's unclear if one of his five children will continue to grow trees once he retires.

"At this point, it's hard to say if anyone is going to take it over," Nicholson said. "Farming is tough. You put the trees in and wait seven or eight years."

Dave and Mary Utzig planted their first trees in 1955 two miles west of Janesville, Wis. They typically plant about 1,000 trees a year but this year only planted 50

at their

9-acre Tannenbaum Acres farm.

"Dave is 85 years old and I'm 84," Mary Utzig said, when asked why they planted fewer trees. "But the crop looks very good this year. It's pretty and green and has full foliage."

At the Paoli Tree Farm near Belleville, the husband and wife team of Ken Kempfert and Jean Hylland has about 5,000 trees on about 5 acres. Their business includes a small gift shop and an educational predator-prey walk for children. Their first crop of trees was planted in 1988, but each year they also buy Fraser fir trees from northern Wisconsin. They bought about 10 percent fewer Frasers this year, which can retail for $100, depending on the height.

"We're a little concerned about the economy," Hylland said. "The tree we buy is a very expensive tree, but it's also a very good tree. But if you don't sell them, it's a real big loss."

Tree sales nationally were down about 10 percent to 28.2 million trees in 2008 compared with 2007, according to the NCTA. The association, based in Chesterfield, Mo., reported the average amount spent on a farm-grown tree was $36.50.

At The Bruce Co. in Middleton, Mike Korlesky said he ordered about 1,500 trees from Silent Night Evergreens in Endeavor, about the same number as last year. He did not cut back on Fraser firs, which sell for about $10 per foot.

"It's more the weather than the economy that gets us," Korlesky said during a break in setting up trees in the garden center at 2830 Parmenter St. "It's all based on weekends."

If it's cold and snowy, customers trend towards trees that have already been cut. When the weather is more tolerable, more will cut their own, he

said.

A prolonged drought in northern Wisconsin has slowed the growth of some trees, according to growers, but because rains were timely this year, concerns are more about the economy than with stunted trees or a shortage of trees.

"I think the crop is in real good condition," said Ed Steigerwaldt, owner of Steigerwaldt Tree Farms near Tomahawk, Wis., where he has 300,000 trees. "The real question mark is what are consumers going to spend."

 

 

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