Spring Drought Might Have Impact On Christmas Trees

It might seem too early to be talking about Christmas trees, but one Wisconsin tree farmer said the dry spell from earlier this year might impact his product. Joe Cook, owner of Traditional Tree Farm in Chippewa Falls, said he planted about 1,500 to 1,800 balsam firs this past spring. But with six weeks in a row of no rain, he predicts he might have lost about a third of those seedlings. Because of the expected loss, Cook planted 1,000 more new trees on Friday, September 24th. So what does this mean for consumers? Cook said he still has a healthy supply of trees that have been growing from previous seasons, so prices should stay relatively the same for his farm. However, Cook said there might be a slight increase in prices for other tree-related items.