As people gear up for the holiday season, it is expected that the supply chain crisis will affect how people celebrate. A possible turkey shortage for Thanksgiving is making national headlines, but, for at least one local business, it is Christmas that consumers should be worried about.
MillFarm Chistmas Trees & Berry Farm in Greater Williamsburg is already cautioning patrons about a lack of Christmas Trees this year. On October 26, the farm posted to social media an adjustment of its policy this season as a result of a tree shortage.
“The Christmas tree supply will be very limited this year,” the post read. “Our fields have a good supply of growing trees. Unfortunately, they are too small to sell this season.”
Trees under six feet will not be available for cutting. The timeline for tagging of trees will also be limited and take place November 1 through November 7.
The farm also carries pre-cut trees, but, those, too will be in short supply, and the farm is currently unsure about its shipment of trees.
It is “not guaranteed that we will get very many,” the farm’s statement read. “And we do not know what we are getting. The Christmas tree supply is limited everywhere.”
MillFarm Christmas Trees & Berry Farm stressed that it would not increase prices on its own trees as a result of the shortage.
“We will not raise our prices on trees that we grow,” the post stated. “We will work hard to have affordable prices on the pre-cut trees. We are very sorry and apologize to you for the situation we find ourselves in.”
According to The American Christmas Tree Association (ACTA), customers should expect not only a reduced supply of both live and artificial trees but also higher prices. The lack of live Christmas trees this holiday season is due in part to the pandemic as well as extreme weather in the Pacific Northwest. The ACTA indicated that as a result of the weather, some tree farms in Oregon lost up to 90 percent of its crop.