A local seller of real Christmas trees says the industry is still affected by a shortage of trees, but part of that may be due to an increase in the popularity of going all natural.
Neal’s Farm doesn’t currently grow its own Christmas trees, but brings ships in from southern Ontario. Greg and Allyson Neal purchased the 10-acre farm on Second Line in 2016.
“We woke up one morning after we bought it and decided to make a Christmas store because we both love it so much,” said Allyson.
The Neals grow produce on the farm in the warmer months and set up the Christmas market every November and December.
“This is just to make a little money to get us through the winter,” said Allyson. “And I get to wear a Christmas sweater for two months straight.”
This year the Neals brought in about 400 Christmas trees from their supplier in southern Ontario. The prices for the balsam fir, fraser fir and scotch pine trees they stock range from $65 to $145, depending on the size of the tree.
“We would love to have more if our supplier could give them to us,” said Allyson. “It’s not so much s shortage, it’s because of the recession we had in 2008. They didn’t have the people to plant the trees so we are seeing the effects of that now.”
Allyson said she has noticed an increase in customers over the past six years, but especially for 2020 and 2021.
“With covid, people are making the switch to fresh Christmas trees because of the fact people are home now. People aren’t travelling so it’s kind of going back to the old-style Christmases where people do all of the decorating,” said Allyson. “If the last two ears have taught us anything, it’s the simple stuff that really matters.”
The Neals have been getting a lot of repeat business over the past six years. Allyson said she has been able to watch the children of repeat customers growing up year after year.
The Neals are also there to help new customers navigate the experience. For some it will be their first natural tree ever.
“A lot of people know exactly what they are looking for, what kind of Christmas tree, the size of tree, all of it. Other say they have never had one and we make sure we go over all of the basics with them,” said Allyson.
For an even more old-school experience there are a number of cut-your-own tree farms in the Sault Ste. Marie area, including Maki Farm and Mockingbird Hill Farm.
Maki Farm has been selling Christmas Trees from its approximately-25 acre tree patch since the 1960s, said owner Jim Maki.
The trees are not pre cut. Customers who don’t have their own saw are provided with one when they arrive at the farm on Maki Road.
“It’s a nice experience where they can walk through the tree patch and choose their own tree,” said Maki.
Maki Farm plants new spruce, balsam fir and pine trees most years, said Maki, and he doesn’t expect they will run out. He said he hasn’t noticed any large jump in the popularity of cutting your own tree in recent years.
“I would say it’s about the same,” he said, comparing business to previous years.
Because the farm has been running for so long, Maki said generations of families have been coming to select their own trees for Christmas.
“They bring the tree up and pay us at the door and that’s it,” said Maki.
On average, the experience will cost families a little less to cut their own.
“It’s by the height. They’re generally around $60 or $70,” said Maki.
Allyson said customer demand has moved up the season over the six years she and Greg have been running Neal’s Farm.
“Our busiest weekend used to be the first weekend in December. Now it’s the third weekend in November, so we are almost three weeks ahead of schedule with people buying their trees,” she said.
“I hate to use COVID as the answer for everything because people are so sick of COVID — but I think we are all just looking for the feel-good stuff, and that’s what Christmas is all about. It’s not the presents, it’s making the decorations and all of the stuff. People are just ready to put their trees up and celebrate life and each other,” she added.