Looks like the concensus from yesterday’s comments was that real trees are still safe this year, so I think I’ll put my vote in with the mister. One statement in the NCSU report I linked to yesterday stuck out in my mind: While the rain didn’t come in time to save many Christmas tree seedlings planted in 2007, it was just what the doctor ordered for our market trees.
(Jeff Owen, North Carolina State University area extension forestry specialist) So I decided to do a bit more investigating, from my favorite source … feet on the street. For most of the last decade we’ve gotten our Frasier Firs from Christ the King Moravian Church in Durham. Margaret Nifong, a great friend of my family’s, is a member of the church and one of the resident Christmas tree experts. She had great insight. Our trees are being cut today in Ashe County, she said.
We’ve gotten trees from Sanford and Debbie Fishel, who own and operate Grouse Ridge Tree Farm (in Grassy Creek NC), for about ten years. They even had a tree in the White House a couple of years ago. Margaret agreed that Fraser Firs are one of North Carolina’s most important crops, and also encouraged fresh tree purchases for this holiday season.
So next week, I’ll be in Durham with my family buying Christmas trees and wreaths, and visiting with Margaret (who’s a pretty cool knitter and potter), and feeling good about my purchase since 100% of Christ the King Moravian Church’s proceeds go to missions.