With the holiday season upon us, Christmas trees are now in high demand.
But some looking to buy could be straight out of luck.
“I have cancelled all my wholesale customers this year so they’re having a terrible time,” said Saanichton Christmas Trees owner Joan Fleming.
Fleming and her family have been growing and selling Christmas trees for decades. But after over 50 years in the business, she is cutting back.
“A lot of Christmas tree farmers are getting old and they’re retiring, and if they don’t have family to carry on their farm it goes by the wayside,” said Fleming.
A shortage of trees this year is leaving local organizations who depend on tree sales for their annual fundraisers scrambling to find trees to sell,
“Up until about five years ago we were always able to meet our demand, each year I ask for more trees and are unable to get them. We sell upwards of about 550 trees, where last year all we could get was 500,” said Aniwim House Director Terry Edison-Brown.
And lower sales means organizations like the Aniwim House won’t be able to meet the need for their services.
“We’re a non-profit organization that really relies on this fundraiser,” said Edison-Brown.
If the number of growers continues to plummet, these organizations will be feeling effects for years to come, “There needs to be more people that are willing to sacrifice the time that it takes to have a Christmas tree farm because you plant the seed and it takes seven years for that tree to be six, seven feet,” Fleming said.
Aniwim will begin their tree sale this Thursday, but due to lack of supply, they’re expected to be sold out by mid-December
Ben Nesbit
