Communities in Ashe County and elsewhere in western North Carolina are still working to reunite in the wake of Hurricane Helen.
“This whole event brought out what I would say is the best in people,” said Amber Scott, part-owner of Klein Church Nursery in Fleetwood, North Carolina, which provided the 2023 White House Christmas tree. “It’s been absolutely incredible, the outreach we’ve had from all over the country and even overseas, with people wanting to donate and donate. It’s been a very humbling experience.”
While farmers may be concerned about deteriorating weather conditions, they are well-versed in dealing with unpredictable weather.
“Everyone wants to know, ‘Is it climate change? Are things getting worse?’ Underside said. “I don’t get paid enough money to know this, but you know, farmers have always had to deal with weather and uncertainty because of weather.”
“Things are changing,” Whitehill said. “We have to be prepared for what the future holds. And almost all the farmers I work with, when I put it this way, are 100% on board with this approach.
Christmas tree growers in the United States also face challenges related to labor availability and high land costs.
“Most Christmas tree production, especially harvesting, is labor intensive and you have to work regardless of the weather,” Sidebottom said. “And most people don’t like to work that hard or may not be physically able to work that hard.”
Like the rest of the agricultural industry, Christmas tree farms rely on immigrant labor to harvest and transport the product. MacLean, president of the Ashe County Christmas Tree Association, said all the workers at her farm, Heart Tea Tree Farms, come from Mexico on temporary farm work visas.
“We have the same people who come back year after year,” McLean said. “If we didn’t have access to this program, we wouldn’t have a U.S.-based workforce to harvest our trees.”
Data shows increased reliance on that labor in the state. The number of migrant workers approved to work in North Carolina’s agriculture, forestry and fishing industries rose nearly 50% from 2018 to 2024, according to an analysis by NBC News. US Citizenship and Immigration Services data.
Most agricultural crops are harvested in the same year they were planted. Not Christmas trees. The uniquely long time it takes to grow—an average of 7 years, but can be as long as 15—makes any significant changes in the industry slow to initiate. Today, the industry is still recovering from the fallout of the 2008 recession, when falling demand led farmers to plant fewer trees, constraining supply for years to come.
“The industry is not like a race car,” Sidebottom said. “It’s like a train. It takes a long time to get things moving, and it takes a long time to put the brakes on it, too.”
Despite the horrific year, this holiday season is still a source of light for Ashe County Christmas tree growers.
“When people have their slideshows, of their family members, you’ll see those Christmas pictures,” said Freeman, owner of Mistletoe Meadows. “And what’s always there in that Christmas photo is that Christmas tree. For me, it just reiterated the fact that the Christmas tree is kind of the centerpiece of the home for your family during Christmas.”
“Agriculture always has its challenges, and farmers are very resilient,” Freeman said. “And I think our harvest and selling season went well this year. It was a good, good season for Christmas trees.”
Joe Murphy and Jiquan Wu Contribute.
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2024-12-25 11:00:40
