When do you put up your Christmas tree? The weekend after Thanksgiving typically marks the start of the Christmas season and is the most popular time to purchase a Christmas tree.
Whether you have already started decorating or wait until December, go green this holiday season with a locally grown Wisconsin Christmas tree!
Wisconsin ranks fifth in the nation for Christmas tree production with more than 850 Christmas tree farms on 23,000 acres. Wisconsin tree growers harvest more than half a million trees every year.
Real Christmas trees are the sustainable choice. Here’s five reasons you should choose a real, Wisconsin Christmas tree this year.
- Support your local economy. Choosing a locally grown Christmas tree supports agriculture in your community. When you purchase a local Christmas tree, your dollar has a ripple effect in the community, from the family that grew the tree to their employees and suppliers.
- Good for the environment. Christmas trees begin as seedlings and grow for an average of seven years before they are harvested to adorn homes during Christmas time. During this time, they provide environmental benefits for the ecosystem around them. Tree farms benefit the environment by stabilizing the soil, protecting the water and supporting wildlife, birds and insects in the branches of the trees. Christmas trees are often grown on land that is not well suited to grow other crops.
- Mitigate climate change. Christmas trees are carbon-neutral – they absorb carbon dioxide and release fresh oxygen into the air. One acre of Christmas trees produces the daily oxygen intake for approximately 18 people. As a bonus, when you purchase a tree from a farm close to home, you lessen the emissions associated with transporting the tree.
- Renewable resource. Christmas trees are a renewable resource. According to the National Christmas Tree Association, for every one tree that is harvested, one to three new trees are planted.
- 100% Recyclable. Wisconsin grown Christmas trees are all natural and 100% biodegradable. When the holiday merriment is over and it is time to take your Christmas tree down, there are plenty of options for recycling a real Christmas tree. Many communities will offer curbside pick-up for recycling or you can take your tree directly to a recycling center. Recycled Christmas trees can benefit ecosystems as shelters for fish, birds and other wildlife. Learn more about recycling your Christmas tree from the National Christmas Tree Association.
This Christmas, choose a locally grown Wisconsin tree. Looking for a tree farm near you? Use this guide from the Wisconsin Christmas Tree Producers Association.