(WGHP) — North Carolina-grown Christmas trees carry extra meaning this year
Families across the nation are setting up their trees and decorating for Christmas. Some even plan a trip to the mountains to cut and take home a fresh tree. This year, that trip is more important than ever. Brad Jones found out that a lot of growers and families are counting on the rest of us to pick a tree that’s Made in North Carolina.
The folks at Barr Evergreens are having a busy season, harvesting Fraser Firs of all sizes. They say you don’t have to buy one of theirs — just make sure you support a North Carolina grower.
The vast majority of trees grown in our state are Fraser Firs because they’re acclimated to the cooler temperatures found in the mountains. That’s where Hurricane Helene slammed into communities several months ago, washing away lives and damaging farms and businesses. Rusty Barr told us the high water swept away their seedling nursery in Jefferson.
He said they grow seedlings in Styrofoam trays, adding that “they floated and down the stream they went. We probably lost 270,000 Fraser Fir transplants that were ready to go in the field in the spring of 2025”. That adds up to a half-million dollar loss for Barr’s business. Still, they’re more focused on helping customers at this point. He told us “we held a few trees back that we’ll be able to provide to customers. We may not plant any trees and let our customers have what trees are available.”
Barr has more than 60 employees this time of year. Some of those workers have been with him for decades.
Helping his business survive means as much to all of them as it does for his family. He says the best way to help all of those families is to make a trip and make a day of it. When you visit any of the choose and cut lots, it’s a great idea to do some shopping along the way and stop in at a local restaurant, because those dollars add up.
“Everybody’s looking forward to people coming up and they need you to come”, he told us, as crews loaded trees behind him at his farm in Crumpler. While plenty of people are searching for ways to help communities in the western mountains, it starts with picking up a fresh Christmas tree and making sure your dollars go right to the families who could use some help this season.
To find a choose and cut farm go to the Ashe County Christmas Tree Association’s website.
Source: Fox 8 Made in North Carolina
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