Readers of these columns will be gratified to learn that people are coming back to the natural tree. Whether it's plastic pollution, pricey artificial imports or simple nostalgia for the real thing, everywhere sales of live pines, spruce, firs and hemlock are climbing.
And why not? Christmas tree farming is environmentally sound. The stands, often on land little suited for anything else, provide a welcoming habitat for vast array of wildlife as well as employment in areas where such opportunities are often scarce on the ground. Cut-your-own operations not only offer an additional source of revenue to tree farmers but to surrounding communities where the visitors stop to shop. Once home, they bring joy and happiness before finally ending their days biodegraded as municipal mulch.