Christmas Trees
Many of my fondest Christmas memories surround Christmas trees: The sharpy, piney scent that never fails to conjure images of soot-stained hearths and crunching snow underfoot. Shiny baubles and gilded ornaments (each of which holds a little memory of its own, little fragments of places and people who come to life anew every winter). Watching the mosaic of sharded shadows dance across the walls as the cast of tree lights is broken by pine needles.
I suspect I’m not alone in this. Trees are a hallmark of the holiday season for many of us—and they’re a hallmark of Michigan as well.
Just this year, Governor Whitmer declared December to be Michigan Christmas Tree Month in recognition of the vital role the industry plays in our state and national economies. Of the approximately 25 to 30 million Christmas trees that are harvested in the US each year, over three million—about $30 to $40 million worth—come from Michigan, making it the third largest producer in the country after Oregon and North Carolina.
This mass growth and harvesting isn’t just a seasonal affair. The over 560 Christmas tree farms in Michigan dominate an incredible 37,000 acres, and this land doesn’t melt away with the snow; it continues to have substantial environmental implications year-round, long after the yuletide ambiance has faded.
For one, Christmas tree farms provide vital habitat to wildlife, often in areas that would otherwise be barren. The tree species favored for Christmas, including varieties of pines, spruces, and firs, can thrive on the rocky and sandy soils that are unsuitable for other types of agriculture, offering an economic incentive to preserve native woodland habitats. Christmas tree farms bring with them the other benefits of woodlands too, such as air purification and soil stabilization.
Individually, real Christmas trees are an eco-friendly choice to their artificial counterparts. Unlike artificial trees, they are not only recyclable and biodegradable, but are also free of fossil-fuel produced plastics and potentially harmful metal toxins. Over 80% of the world’s artificial trees are manufactured in China, translating to further nonrenewable energy consumption as they are moved en mass across the globe. Artificial trees bear the further weight of humanitarian concerns, given that a large majority of them are made by severely underpaid (and often underage) laborers working in inadequate conditions.
At the end of the day, Michigan’s flourishing Christmas tree industry stands as a testament to our rich agricultural presence and native evergreen landscapes. It’s the quintessential Christmas scene: countless families across the country are setting up their trees right now, swept away in nostalgia with each breath of piney air and ornament pulled out of storage. Here in the UP, we can take pride in knowing these scenes are rooted in Michigan soil (rocks and all).
The Schoolcraft Conservation District will be heralding in the winter solstice with a hike at the Environmental Education Lab on December 21 at 4 pm; all are welcome to attend. Our annual tree sale is also approaching, with sales beginning in February and continuing until April. For more information about these and other services, including free forestry technical assistance and cost-share programs available to help you start a Christmas tree farm of your own, visit schoolcraftcd.org or contact our office at (906) 286-2890.
From the SCD staff and board, we wish you a wonderful holiday season!
I suspect I’m not alone in this. Trees are a hallmark of the holiday season for many of us—and they’re a hallmark of Michigan as well.
Just this year, Governor Whitmer declared December to be Michigan Christmas Tree Month in recognition of the vital role the industry plays in our state and national economies. Of the approximately 25 to 30 million Christmas trees that are harvested in the US each year, over three million—about $30 to $40 million worth—come from Michigan, making it the third largest producer in the country after Oregon and North Carolina.
This mass growth and harvesting isn’t just a seasonal affair. The over 560 Christmas tree farms in Michigan dominate an incredible 37,000 acres, and this land doesn’t melt away with the snow; it continues to have substantial environmental implications year-round, long after the yuletide ambiance has faded.
For one, Christmas tree farms provide vital habitat to wildlife, often in areas that would otherwise be barren. The tree species favored for Christmas, including varieties of pines, spruces, and firs, can thrive on the rocky and sandy soils that are unsuitable for other types of agriculture, offering an economic incentive to preserve native woodland habitats. Christmas tree farms bring with them the other benefits of woodlands too, such as air purification and soil stabilization.
Individually, real Christmas trees are an eco-friendly choice to their artificial counterparts. Unlike artificial trees, they are not only recyclable and biodegradable, but are also free of fossil-fuel produced plastics and potentially harmful metal toxins. Over 80% of the world’s artificial trees are manufactured in China, translating to further nonrenewable energy consumption as they are moved en mass across the globe. Artificial trees bear the further weight of humanitarian concerns, given that a large majority of them are made by severely underpaid (and often underage) laborers working in inadequate conditions.
At the end of the day, Michigan’s flourishing Christmas tree industry stands as a testament to our rich agricultural presence and native evergreen landscapes. It’s the quintessential Christmas scene: countless families across the country are setting up their trees right now, swept away in nostalgia with each breath of piney air and ornament pulled out of storage. Here in the UP, we can take pride in knowing these scenes are rooted in Michigan soil (rocks and all).
The Schoolcraft Conservation District will be heralding in the winter solstice with a hike at the Environmental Education Lab on December 21 at 4 pm; all are welcome to attend. Our annual tree sale is also approaching, with sales beginning in February and continuing until April. For more information about these and other services, including free forestry technical assistance and cost-share programs available to help you start a Christmas tree farm of your own, visit schoolcraftcd.org or contact our office at (906) 286-2890.
From the SCD staff and board, we wish you a wonderful holiday season!