Maryland Department of Agriculture Encourages Residents to Buy Locally Grown Christmas Trees During Agency Tree Lighting

ANNAPOLIS, MD (Dec. 1, 2011) –  Staff members at the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) gathered outside the agency’s Annapolis headquarters today to light a 20-foot, Maryland-grown White pine tree and encourage citizens to buy fresh cut, locally grown Christmas trees, rather than artificial trees or those grown out of state.

“Buying a locally grown tree is much more environmentally sound than buying an artificial one,” said Agriculture Deputy Secretary Mary Ellen Setting. “Fake trees are usually petroleum based, imported from overseas and do not biodegrade so they eventually end up in landfills forever. Buying locally grown trees, including choose and cut trees, supports family owned farms and businesses, preserves farmland, and protects the environment. At the end of the season, trees are recycled a number of ways that return important nutrients to the earth. At our ceremony today, we are both celebrating the holiday season and encouraging residents to support our local tree farmers.”

MDA’s Christmas tree – a 20-foot-white pine erected in front of the agency’s headquarters – was donated by Wilma and Bob Muir, owners of Deer Creek Valley Tree Farm in Harford County. Mrs. Muir is also president of the Maryland Christmas Tree Association, an association of growers and retailers with about 100 members across the state.

“We are so pleased to have one of our larger trees on display in Annapolis,” said Mrs. Muir. “We hope it will catch everyone’s eye and get people interested in real trees and all the benefits they provide our environment and our communities. There are still people who think they are saving a tree by buying a fake Christmas tree and they have no idea how far from the truth that is.”

Christmas trees are a crop, designed to be cut and eventually returned to the earth. Farms that grow Christmas trees stabilize soil, protect water supplies and provide wildlife habitat. While they’re growing, trees absorb carbon dioxide and other gases and emit fresh oxygen, unlike artificial trees which are petroleum-based. When growing in open space, a 3-inch diameter Douglas-fir tree can reduce atmospheric carbon by 23 pounds and intercept 102 gallons of storm water runoff per year. After Christmas, trees are often chipped into mulch that returns valuable nutrients to the soil.

According to the 2007 Census of Agriculture, of the 200 tree growing farms in Maryland, 168 farms harvested 77,801 trees valued at $2.4 million. There are about 15,000 Christmas tree growers in the U.S., and over 100,000 people employed full or part time in the industry.  Tree planting, shearing and mowing can take up to 65 hours a week, 52 weeks a year. The popular Fraser Fir does not always fare well in Maryland soils, but the Canaan is similarly beautiful and grown more easily and in more locations throughout the state. Other trees varieties grown in Maryland include:  Douglas fir, Concolor fir, Scotch pine, White pine, and Blue spruce.

To find a Christmas tree farm near you, visit www.marylandsbest.net.  Or the Maryland Christmas Tree Association’s Choose and Cut Directory at: www.marylandchristmastrees.org/ccdirectory.html.

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Addendum Information:

Maryland Department of Agriculture’s Top 10 Reasons to Buy a Fresh, Locally Grown Christmas Tree

10.  While they’re growing, real Christmas trees absorb carbon dioxide and other gases and emit fresh oxygen, unlike artificial trees which are petroleum-based.

9.  A real Christmas tree is biodegradable, which means it can be easily reused or recycled for mulch and other purposes, whereas an artificial tree is only used for six to nine years before it is thrown away, remaining in a landfill for many years.

8.  Christmas trees can be recycled in a variety of ways, including local government programs to chip them into mulch that returns valuable nutrients to the soil.

7.  The farms that grow Christmas trees stabilize soil, protect water supplies and provide wildlife habitat while creating scenic green belts.

6.  When growing in open space, a 3” in diameter Douglas fir tree can reduce atmospheric carbon by 23 pounds and intercept 102 gallons of stormwater runoff per year (Davey.com tree calculator).

5.  Christmas tree growers plant one to three new seedlings for every tree they harvest, rarely using fertilizer after planting.

4.  When you buy directly from a farmer, that dollar will circulate through the local economy four times, strengthening our communities.

3.  When farmers are profitable, they are able to stay on the land, keeping it open and productive for the benefit of all.

2.  Evergreen trees look and smell wonderful and are part of a sentimental American tradition.

1.  Visiting a tree farm is great holiday fun for the entire family.

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