Cutting down real Christmas trees still popular

By Amanda Gray, South Bend Tribune

What’s green, has an identifiable smell and is a little prickly if you hug it?

The answer you’re looking for is a Christmas tree. (Perhaps the Grinch fits the bill, too.) For many local families, it’s tradition to head to the many Christmas tree farms or lots scattered around the area to cut down and take home their very own Tannenbaum.

Pinecrest Christmas Tree Farms owner Richard Soper said tree sales have held steady and possibly increased in recent years at his Galien farm. His family began selling trees there in 1977. They also own a blueberry farm in Sawyer.

“It’s interesting from a farming standpoint,” Soper said. “It’s not just a seasonal thing. It’s year round.”

In fact, it’s a craft that spans years, and even involves some crystal ball magic to predict what crowds will look like for certain varieties in seven to 12 years, depending on how long the trees take to mature.

According to the National Christmas Tree Association, consumers spent an average of $39.50 on real trees and $63.60 on artificial trees in 2014. Real tree sales topped 26.3 million trees, while artificial tree sales numbered 13.9 million last year.

The majority of consumers, about 85 percent, purchase a pre-cut tree, while just 15 percent choose to trek out into the Christmas tree farm and cut their own, according to the national association.

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