Christmas Tree trouble 11272020

Jason Lindsey spoke with Dale Barker, Christmas Tree farmer.

The year..

But one tradition...may not be as easy this year.

A shortage of fraser fir trees..and a decline in farms..will make it hard to find the perfect christmas tree.

Our ag stem expert, jason lindsey, takes us to a kentucky christmas tree farm, where they're selling tress, just a little differently.

### pkg script nat dale barker is a christmas tree farmer in kentucky.

"we planted our first trees in ninety five."

Barker says christmas trees aren't the easiest to grow.

"insects, disease, you've got to stay on top of it, you've got to scout your trees all the time to determine what you have, there will always be a new issue by the time you think you know what you are doing something else will come up."

For now he's mastered the science behind growing the perfect tree, but there's no experiment that will help with his biggest problem.

"they plant the pumpkins in the summer and sell them in the fall, so they get almost an instant return."

"here's the problem, most farmers will reap the benefits, of their crops, within about a year, if you are a christmas tree farmer, it may take up to eight years."

"it just takes a long time, is the big thing, i've seen a lot of people plant trees, but very few people ever sell one."

But barker has sold thousands of trees since the nineties and he'll sell even more as we continue to fight a vicious virus, just a little differently.

"what we've done this year, we've gone from a first come first serve bases, to come out and cut a tree, we've gone to a reservation system only."

Which has paid off.

"so, we're turning away people now before we've actually sold the first tree."

And i have a feeling it won't be his last, in kentucky, i'm jason lindsey.

The u-s census of agriculture estimates a twenty five percent decline in christmas tree farms since 2002.

Fs lotto mm:jackpot amounts november 27, 2020 $214 million tonight $216 million