Media Days at Christmas Tree Farms Show Local Trees Are Smart Choice for Home - and Home Planet
NASHVILLE -- Christmas tree farms grow a completely renewable and recyclable resource which contains no petroleum products and leaves a very small carbon footprint. Buying a natural tree from a nearby farm is a great holiday gift to the environment and to local farmers.
Artificial trees are made with plastic, which is made with petroleum products. That includes lead—an ingredient in PVC (polyvinyl chloride) plastic and other metals. Fake trees don’t biodegrade, and chances are they’ve traveled a long way, leaving a huge carbon footprint to get to the store. About 85 percent of them start in China, but they end up sitting in local landfills for centuries.
Natural Christmas trees are close to home, leaving a negligible carbon footprint. While they grow, natural Christmas trees absorb carbon dioxide and other gases and emit fresh oxygen. Christmas trees are often grown on soil that doesn't support other crops, and their root systems serve to stabilize soil, protect area water quality and provide refuge for wildlife. Grown on farms like any other crop, one to three new seedlings are planted for every tree harvested to ensure a constant supply.
After the holidays, a cut tree can go to a local site to be turned into mulch for area trails, but no matter what you do with it, it’s 100 percent biodegradable.
A live balled and burlapped tree is replanted once the holidays are over. The farmer will be happy to give tips on how to plant and care for a transplanted tree. Buying a live tree from a nearby farm guarantees that the variety grows well in your area.
Find local Christmas tree farms at www.picktnproducts.org and click on the Christmas tree for a statewide directory. Always call ahead and confirm hours of operation and activities.
Who: All Media are invited. Lunch will be provided for those who RSVP to Pamela.Bartholomew@tn.gov or 615-837-5348 in advance of event. Local and area officials are also encouraged to attend.
When: November 11 and 12; both media day events will begin at 11 a.m. local time.
Where:
Monday, November 11
Country Cove Christmas Tree Farm
Joseph P. Steiner
1189 Cutoff Road
Murfreesboro, TN 37129 (Rutherford County)
Phone: 615-895-0838
E-mail: info@countrycovetrees.com
Web: http://www.countrycovetrees.com
Tuesday, November 12
Duncan Christmas Tree Farm & Gift Shop
Charlie & Elizabeth Duncan
186 Hester Road
Selmer, TN 38375 (McNairy County)
Phone: 731-645-5769
Web: http://www.duncanchristmastreefarm.com