The live Christmas tree industry is experiencing a resurgence, but B.C. farmers are finding it hard to meet rising customer demand.
“ could have Canadian oil that’s been sent overseas and then comes back in the form of a Christmas tree. So, creating that artificial tree uses a lot of carbon, too,” he explained. Land prices, intensive labour Gord Ferguson is the owner of Z&Z Christmas Trees, located on the corner of Gilbert Rd. and Steveston Hwy in Richmond. He began selling Christmas trees in 1979, and his now eight-year-old business offers a selection of “pre-cut” and “U-cut trees.”
Two of the most significant challenges facing businesses are the cost of land and the intensive labour required to grow a Christmas tree, which can take anywhere from six to 10 years. “The biggest challenge—it’s not just Christmas trees, it’s all farming—is all the farmers are getting old and nobody wants to work anymore,” said Ferguson. “There’s no new generation of farmers and Christmas tree growers.”
Most of these tree imports used to come from eastern Canada, but are now mostly sourced from the U.S. Pacific Northwest.