This year’s crop of Christmas trees is good

NBC
Published: November 18, 2008

Will Amendinger’s selling Christmas spirit.

Has been for almost 50 years.

He knows trees.

And he knows Christmas consumers.

Will says “they don’t want them too fat, they don’t want them too narrow.“

They’re picky, picking out the tree, and the trees are a bit picky when it comes to
weather, whether or not they grow tall and full.

Will, who operates Rum River Tree Farm, says “we had a good growing season, so the trees should be fresh and our havest season, the weather has been very favorable, we’ve had lots of cool days and rainy days, which kind of slow us down, but its good for the trees.“

At Rum River Tree Farm in Oak Grove, 60,000 trees will leave the lot over the course of one month.

They leave in 800 load bundles bound for Canada, North Dakota, and Minneapolis and crews are cranking it up as the deadline creeps closer.

Will says “everything has to be harvested and shipped to the retailer before Thanksgiving. It’s a lot of hard work, its a young man’s game handling them.“

And the demand, Almendinger says, it’s as good as it has been in the past despite reports of low consumer confidence around Christmas.

Will says “we gotta start with the tree, you’ve gotta have a place to put the presents.“

So the hustle and bustle of the holiday season has already begun.

Will says “oh, it’s pretty hectic, everybody’s getting tired.“

As Christmas tree growers give thanks, before Thanksgiving, to mother nature in Minnesota.

Will says “we had a real good growing season for trees.“