With Thanksgiving just days away, many of us will turn our thoughts to Christmas. With that comes Christmas shopping, Christmas decorations, and of course Christmas trees. I hope that in all the hustle of the holidays, that the environmental impact of the trees you put in your homes is considered.
Conventional wisdom tells us that artificial trees are the environmentally-friendly choice since they don’t remove a living tree from nature and they can be used over and over again. The truth is that the production and shipping of artificial trees (which are primarily made in China) is not at all friendly to the environment. The PVC plastic is made using petroleum products and lead; and the shipping of the raw materials to the factories, then the shipping overseas, and finally delivery by truck to your local store uses gasoline at every step. (See more Christmas tree facts here).
Live trees aren’t taken from protected forests but are instead grown on commercial farms. And all of the trees that are cut down are replaced each year with new ones. But even when you buy a live tree, be sure to consider your options. A live tree at your local discount retailer may have been harvested hundreds of miles from where you live (most certainly if you live here in Oklahoma) so not only isn’t it very fresh, but it has been trucked to your local store.
The Bottom Line
Buy a fresh-cut (or even a potted) tree from a local tree farm. A local tree isn’t shipped across the country, and is the freshest, longest-lasting tree you can get. Many tree farms will cut the tree right there while you wait, or even let you cut it down yourself. It supports your local economy and can actually be a lot of fun.
My family bought our first locally-grown tree last year. If you’re in the Oklahoma City area, I’d highly recommend Sorghum Mill Christmas Tree Farm. They have an absolutely huge selection of trees in many varieties both fresh cut, potted, and ready-to-be cut.
We choose to get a locally grown tree of a native species rather than the typical spruces and firs also offered. My wife, kids, and I roamed around the farm for a long time looking at all the trees so we could pick just the right one. When you find your tree you simply flag down a guy with a saw and a golf cart. He’ll cut it down or help you, then load it up and give everyone a ride back to the entrance to the farm. But the service doesn’t end there. At Sorghum Mill Tree Farm, the next step is to put every tree in some kind of shaking machine that violently shakes each tree to remove all of the loose needles. Then the trunk is shaped and the whole tree wrapped for the ride home. While you’re waiting they serve hot chocolate and hot apple cider if you’d like.
Our kids enjoyed the process and it became much more of a family outing than it would have been should we have simply grabbed a tree at Walmart. It was a great time and I highly recommend the experience to anyone this Christmas. The cost was approximately double what we would have spent at Walmart but we got a much larger, fresher, and more attractive tree — and had a great time doing it. You can find the Farm a bit north of Edmond off of I-35 and Sorghum Mill Road (That’s a few miles north of Danforth for those familiar with the area). It’s not too far from Pops which makes a pretty good lunch stop on the way home.
If you don’t live in Oklahoma City, the National Christmas Tree Association has a tool that will locate the nearest local tree farm in your area. They also have lots of great info about why to buy live and local and how to recycle your tree after Christmas.
