Christmas trees big business in NC mountains

BAKERSVILLE, NC (AP) — Christmas trees grown in North Carolina are already well on their way to stores and tree stands across the country.

The Asheville Citizen-Times reports that North Carolina ranks second in the nation behind Oregon in Christmas tree production. Federal statistics say the state supplies about 4 million trees worth about $1 billion.

Rodney Buchanan’s family tree farm in Mitchell County will provide about 50,000 Fraser firs to Boy Scout and church tree lots and other small operations. Buchanan says it takes about seven years to grow the perfect tree. He starts to prepare for each Christmas season in March and begins cutting down trees in mid-November.

Buchanan says his dad started growing Christmas trees in the mid-1980s after noticing the tobacco market was crashing.

Information from: The Asheville Citizen-Times, http://www.citizen-times.com

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