OCONTO, WI (WTAQ) — The holiday season is right around the corner, and farmers say there is a shortage of Christmas trees nationwide.
They’re getting ready at Whispering Pines Christmas Tree Farm in Oconto for another holiday season. Randy Yeska, one of the owners, says there are some changes at their farm this year, but one thing is consistent.
“We have plenty of trees here for the choose and cut,” he tells WTAQ. “Even though there’s a nationwide shortage, we have plenty of trees.”
While nearly every industry is dealing with shortages, Yeska says the Christmas tree shortage has a different explanation than simply “COVID-19”.
“Trees take about nine or ten years to grow,” said Yeska. “There was a drought about ten or eleven years ago which impacted the new planting.”
Not only did that hurt tree availability, but Yeska says there are simply fewer farms than there used to be.
“Lots of places have just gone out of business,” Yeska said. “Like with family farms, there won’t be anyone to pass the farm down to, so they just decide to go out of business.”
Whispering Pines will open up after Thanksgiving for people looking to choose and cut down their own Christmas tree. Their gift shop opens up this weekend. They also have a retail location in De Pere.
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