Christmas Trees at C and J Christmas Tree Farm. Photo cred submitted by: Dominick Ward
Anna Norris
After Thanksgiving, families and tourists in Boone, North Carolina rush to find their perfect Christmas tree at local farms. These trees, grown and prepared all year round, come in especially unique shapes and sizes. Not only are they better for the environment than artificial trees, Christmas trees also provide customers with the joy and excitement of picking out their own tree. However, due to the impacts of Hurricane Helene this year, Christmas tree farms are facing new challenges.
“The Christmas tree business has been affected by Hurricane Helene, some of the effects are good, others are bad,” said Dominick Ward, Watauga High School graduate.
Ward has worked part-time at C and J Christmas Tree Farm for years and has seen many changes through this holiday season.
“A few examples of the good effects were increased tip rates and increased revenue for the year,” said Ward. “A few examples of the bad effects are losing trees to the wind or mudslides, and it’s harder to find employees who have time to work in the trees instead of hurricane clean up.”
Being flexible and adaptive has become a requirement for workers in the Christmas Tree farm business as Christmas approaches.
“My position at the tree farm changes every day we work, some days I’ll carry and bale the trees, other days I’ll put the trees in customers' vehicles,” said Ward. “Every worker on the farm has a huge role in selling trees every year, whether it’s running a baler or greeting people, it’s like a massive football team. Everyone has their specific part to keep the operation running smoothly.”
The difference between 2023 and 2024 profits at C and J Christmas Tree Farm have been significant, suggesting that Hurricane Helene was a major factor. Other local businesses in Boone are experiencing these effects as the 2024 year comes to a close.
“This season our busy days depend on the weather. Last year our busiest day was Black Friday. We sold 600+ trees,” said Ward. “This year we only sold around 320 trees, but instead of one busy weekend this year almost every weekend was busy until around last weekend.”
Although natural Christmas trees can tend to be overpriced, the joyful experience of visiting a Christmas tree farm is considered far more valuable.
“Trees have actually gone up this year averaging around $13.17 a foot,” said Ward. “The most commonly bought tree at C and J is around an 8.5’ tree which costs $112.00 in the year of 2024.”
Remaining positive during this season can be demanding but rewarding in the long run.
“Working trees teaches you how to sell products and also talk to people,” said Ward. “Another huge lesson it teaches is patience, which is hard to have when you are dealing with hundreds of people every day. “
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