A decorated tree covered in sparkling lights and tinsel serves as the main Christmas decoration for millions of families throughout the United States. While many of these families will pull out an artificial tree to decorate, plenty of others still make the trek out to a local farm to pick a live Christmas tree.
If your family regularly uses artificial trees, it may seem old-fashioned to cut down a fresh Christmas tree every year. You may even think that doing so is bad for the environment. However, according to The Nature Conservancy, using real trees can actually support forests.
“Real trees help fight climate change, and even though your Christmas tree is cut down, you’re actually supporting forests,” The Nature Conservancy explains. Real trees generate less carbon emissions than it takes to produce and ship plastic trees. Plus, when “natural trees are harvested for sale, there are more than ten times as many left standing! Out of the 350-500 million growing on tree farms across the U.S., only 30 million trees are harvested for Christmas each year.”
So, this year, consider opting for a real tree. You’ll appreciate the evergreen scent, and you’ll support the environment and local businesses. Get inspired with this list of five Christmas tree farms across the country.