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Staff photo by Samantha Grier
Barb Reuss of Middletown secures her Christmas tree Saturday, Dec. 5, at Wertz Family Tree Farm in Franklin. The farm has been open for three years.
Staff photo by Samantha Grier
Dan Nieman, left, helps Tony Konecny of North College Hill secure a Christmas tree atop his car Nov. 28 at A.J. Nieman Nursery and Tree Farm in Ross Twp.
Real tree, or not real tree: that is the question
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By Ryan Gauthier,
Staff Writer
Updated 7:29 AM Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Christmas asparagus doesn’t have quite the same ring to it.
Mike Wertz said his Franklin-based tree farm was originally going to house fields of asparagus, but thanks to chemicals he had to slightly alter his plans.
“I was growing asparagus in one of our fields and sprayed it with Roundup (herbicide) to combat the weeds,” Wertz said. “I wound up killing all of the asparagus. So I said, ‘How about Christmas trees?’ “
Wertz started growing trees on his farm back in 2002, but was not able to begin selling them until three years ago. Trees take a bit longer to grow than most crops, making it difficult to open for business in a timely fashion.
He sold out of pre-cut trees within two weeks last year, but said he still has a few left in stock almost three weeks into the season. The bulk of the estimated 11,000 trees growing on his 30-acre farm are Canaan fir, which Wertz said are more suited to flourish in southwestern Ohio than traditional Fraser firs.
“We grow what I think is the best thing, but people are so steeped in tradition that they have to have what they normally get,” he said. “That’s why I truck trees in. But the Canaans are really growing in popularity.”
28.2 million “real” trees were sold in 2008, according to the National Christmas Tree Association. That’s in contrast with 11.7 million artificial trees sold in the same year. Artificial tree sales peaked in 2007, with a reported 17.4 million sold.
NCTA spokesman Rick Dungey said those numbers are evidence of people who both value traditions and are considering how their actions impact the environment. Consumers keep artificial trees an average of six to nine years, Dungey said, after which they all end up in our landfills.
“That’s one of the really ironic things: people patting themselves on the back saying they’ll reuse a tree and when they’re done with it give it to a homeless shelter,” Dungey said. “They think that’s a good thing, but it’s a pretty selfish, short-sighted way of looking at it, because the earth is going to be here a lot longer than you.”
Dungey said there are so many options available both in terms of tree type and method of purchase that there should be no reason consumers opt for an artificial tree this holiday season. Between ordering online and having a tree delivered directly to one’s doorstep or driving to a local tree farm and cutting one down with a hacksaw, he said the options are endless.
“When you go out and you pick a special tree every year, that’s what you get,” Dungey said. “You can’t get that from pulling a dusty box of plastic down from the attic.”
Middletown resident Mary Lane decided to get a new “dusty box of plastic” this year to replace the artificial tree she has been using for the last four. She plans to donate her old tree to an area homeless shelter.
But as someone who freely admits it “bothers” her to not have a real tree filling her home with pine scent during the holidays, Lane said she had to make the switch to artificial out of concern for her 4-year-old son’s safety.
“I was worried he would get into the tree,” Lane said. “Being a single mother do I do what comes naturally for my family and is tradition or do I do what’s in the best interest of my son?”
Lane said she plans to return to real trees when her son is a bit older, but said she’ll have to settle for an artificial tree coated in fake snow for at least another year.
“Mommy wanted a real tree this year,” she said. “But I love you so much that I’m willing to make the sacrifice.”
Wertz said he does not hate people for getting artificial trees, but said he thinks they are missing out on a large part of the holiday experience. Grabbing a hacksaw and picking a tree out of nearly 11,000 is the sort of thing “memories are made of,” he said.
“I think a lot of people like to go out there and just walk around a bit,” he said. “But there are some people who get out there and have a really hard time making a decision. Every one is different.”
Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2871 or rgauthier@coxohio.com.
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Real Christmas Trees are grown on farms just like any other crop. To ensure a constant supply, growers plant 1-3 new seedlings for every tree harvested.
Artificial trees are petroleum-based and manufactured primarily in Chinese factories. The average family uses an artificial tree for only 6-9 years before throwing it away, where it will remain in a landfill for centuries after disposal.
7:55 AM, 12/9/2009