{"id":461,"date":"2025-11-21T12:11:15","date_gmt":"2025-11-21T17:11:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/dekalb\/?p=461"},"modified":"2026-03-09T08:49:01","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T12:49:01","slug":"support-local-tree-farms-this-holiday-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/dekalb\/2025\/11\/support-local-tree-farms-this-holiday-season\/","title":{"rendered":"Support Local Tree Farms this Holiday Season"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The winter holidays are filled with many festive decorations, and for some, that include Christmas trees. Artificial trees are popular in the south, due to reduced availability of tree farms compared to northern regions. However, Georgia is still the third leading producer of Christmas trees in the southeast region, with an estimated 63,915 trees cut in 2022, just behind North Carolina and Virginia (USDA Census of Agriculture data, 2022<\/a>). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In addition to providing a fun and meaningful experience, opting for a live tree supports local agriculture and the environment. Growing these trees may seems environmentally counterproductive since they are cut down, but each harvested tree is replaced. Trees typically take 6-8 years to reach a desirable height (American Farm Bureau<\/a>). During that time, they absorb carbon dioxide, produce oxygen, provide shelter for birds and small mammals, and diverse ground cover offers food for pollinators and other insects. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Presently, 292,050 acres of land in the U.S. are utilized for Christmas tree production (USDA Census of Agriculture data, 2022<\/a>) containing an estimated 350 million conifer trees (Virginia Tech<\/a>). Dedicating land to continuous tree production ensures this environmentally beneficial habitat is preserved. And, once you\u2019re done with your tree, they\u2019re completely compostable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Living in the Metro Atlanta area, you may assume Christmas tree farms are scarcer than in rural counties. Many businesses sell pre-cut trees transported from neighboring states, benefitting the agriculture industry overall, with some even donating to charity. However, if you want to support local agriculture and enjoy the experience of cutting a tree yourself, a tree farm may be closer to you than you think. In 2022, Newton County produced the greatest reported quantity of cut Christmas trees in Georgia (7,500 cut trees), followed by Henry County (6,195 cut trees), which borders DeKalb (USDA Census of Agriculture data, 2022<\/a>). Multiple tree farms are located under an hour, some within 30 minutes, of our extension office on Memorial Drive. With many people making longer treks to go apple picking in the fall, it may be a worthwhile adventure to travel to a tree farm if Christmas trees are part of your winter holiday celebration.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

For those who have never cut your own tree before, here are some tips and what to expect:<\/strong>  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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