For many families across Canada, cutting down a Christmas tree is a cherished holiday tradition.
But experts warn there may be a future snag as the industry faces growing demand coupled with environmental problems.
The desire for real Christmas trees has skyrocketed since lockdowns began in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to experts, and some sellers are struggling to keep up— with some farms already sold out for the season.
“Our industry has grown so rapidly in the last five years. Since 2020, it has really increased and so we are having a hard time keeping up with the demand,” said Shirley Brennan, the executive director of the Canadian Christmas Trees Association.
“Christmas tree farmers plant things in 10-year segments and it means farmers may not be able to plant the amount they need,” she told Global News.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and people were stuck indoors, Brennan said, many embraced the chance to get outside and pick out a Christmas tree. Since then, demand has only grown, with more people sticking to the tradition of cutting down their own tree year after year.
Christmas tree farms can be found all across Canada, from British Columbia to the Maritimes. In 2021, there were more than 1,300 of these tree-filled businesses nationwide, with Ontario boasting the most, according to Statistics Canada.
And 90 per cent of Christmas trees produced in Canada are farm-grown, according to the Canadian Christmas Tree Association.
But skyrocketing demand has brought challenges for supplies.
Many farmers are retiring, and the younger generation isn’t stepping in to take their place, Brennan said. Add to that the effects of climate change-warmer winters, droughts and rising costs, and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to sustain the industry.
Between 2011 and 2021, Canada saw a significant decline in Christmas tree farming, losing 1,017 farms and more than 20,000 acres of farmland, according to Statistics Canada.
That hasn’t slowed demand. This past weekend, Puddleford Tree Farm in Thamesville, Ont., saw record crowds lining up for freshly cut Christmas trees, selling out faster than ever before.
Still, the surge in demand masks the deeper struggles many Christmas tree farms are grappling with.
Aging farmers, growing challenges
Whether pine, spruce or the popular Balsam fir, Christmas trees can take up to 10 years to grow from seedling to maturity.
Scott Lunau, owner of Albion Orchards in Caledon, Ont., started his farm 29 years ago, first with produce like pumpkins and apples, and then expanding into the Christmas tree market.
“We’ve been planting 1,000 seedlings every spring. And demand has gone up every year,” he told Global News. “People are coming earlier too, as they know that there’s a shortage and there’s only so many trees available.”
Lunau, 57, said that each year it becomes more difficult to maintain his farm due to unpredictable weather, rising costs for essentials like fertilizer and gas, and the challenge of finding quality labour.
“What I have learned about this industry, is people are often shocked at how long it takes to grow a tree. It’s a 10-year investment,” he said. “After you plant a seedling, weed control in the first few years is critical…my biggest challenge is finding the labour for this.
“It’s very repetitive work and it’s so hard to find people willing and capable of performing repetitive tasks.”
The work is also outdoors, meaning many workers are exposed to the sun and heat. And if there’s heavy rainfall, it presents an even greater challenge, Lunau added.
With climate change bringing more unpredictable weather, like heat waves, he said it’s becoming increasingly difficult to grow Christmas trees. Seedlings often don’t survive their first few years due to the extreme conditions caused by the heat waves and droughts.
“With climate change, the weather is no longer predictable. In previous years, I could pretty much predict when things would warm up and plan around that,” Lunau said. “But now you can no longer plan on the season because it’s wacky.”
Lunau said he’s spoken with people hesitant to enter the Christmas tree farming business due to the upfront investment, the time it takes to grow a tree, the labour demands and the impact of climate change. He said he can’t blame them, as he finds it more difficult every year.
His wife, and business partner, passed away from cancer on Oct. 27 after being diagnosed just this past summer. He said her loss has added even more stress to the challenges of farming, and although he wants to keep the business going, he worries it may be inevitable that he will have to close his doors.
Branching out for a solution
While there are challenges in the Christmas tree farming world, not all is bleak. Brennan noted that business is thriving, and this year in Ontario has been a successful season for trees, thanks to the ideal balance of sun and rain.
However, the industry is facing an aging workforce. Brennan explained that the average age of a Christmas tree farmer is between 65 and 85 years old. Despite the retirement of many seasoned farmers, she remains optimistic about the future of the industry.
“We are getting the younger generation coming into Christmas tree farming, but differently because they’re going into agritourism,” she explained.
Because it takes 10 years to grow a Christmas tree, some younger farmers are starting with other crops like lavender and sunflowers to build their businesses. Once established, they are then transitioning to growing Christmas trees.
While climate change is top of mind for all farmers, she said the Canadian Christmas Tree Association has been collaborating with the University of Waterloo’s Christmas Tree Lab to research how to adapt as weather patterns become increasingly unpredictable.
“If we continue to go the way we’re going… 30 to 40 years from now, yeah, we are going to be in trouble. So we need to figure out something,” she said.