Christmas tree growers say demand for real, fresh-cut evergreens is strong this season.
The Associated Press reports that wholesale growers and small farms alike say customers are showing up earlier than normal and there are more of them.
More Americans are staying home for the holidays amid coronavirus restrictions and want a new — or renewed — tradition to end a dreary year on a happier note.
In Nebraska, Christmas tree growers are enjoying friendly weather and a large customer base to open the season.
Scott Lund is the farm manager at Santas Woods, a Christmas tree farm near Blair, Nebraska.
“We had a record opening day, a record biggest day on Saturday and the combination record weekend,” Lund said. “It was kind of crazy busy.”
There are around 40,000 Christmas trees growing at Santas Woods, ranging from new seedlings to harvest-ready trees.
Lund says there are plenty of trees still for sale at the farm and they expect another big weekend coming up.
To hear more about the farm and the big opening weekend, listen to this audio interview with Scott Lund.
There are more than 50 Christmas tree farms in Nebraska.
The Nebraska Department of Agriculture has a map of the farms across the state. Click here to view the map.