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Wednesday, December 15, 2021
Finding the perfect Christmas tree
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Despite weather and supply challenges, most local and state Christmas tree growers are offering popular trees at market prices this holiday.
Originally published in The Chronicle Vol. 139 Dec. 8, 2021 ZOE GOTTLIEB chronicle2@countrymedia.net
As residents in Columbia County, the state and across the nation navigate a pandemic landscape, Christmas rituals remain intact. Most Christmas tree growers, although challenged by weather and supply events, have persevered and are offering popular types of trees at market prices. Marquardt Farms Marquardt Farms, a Christmas tree farm in Scappoose, is celebrating its 20th year of operation. Last December, Marquardt Farms had to overcome supply shortages during the buying frenzy. “This is the hardest day for Jim and I,” a Dec. 9, 2020 Facebook post from Marquardt Farms reads. “So many customers that have been coming here for years are showing up to get a tree and we are out of trees. Some people say it is good that we have been so busy. We say it is sad for us to not able to bring joy to you all.” According to Marquardt Farms Owner Jim Marquardt, this holiday season his trees were susceptible to the heat dome in July, making the growing season rife with challenges. “The heat waves this summer damaged both mature saleable trees and newly planted seedlings. Certain species were more susceptible,” Marquardt said. “Our harvest goal would be 500 trees per sea-
son on four-plus acres.” This year, the farm slashed its operating hours for self-service tree cutting, due to a need for increased growing time, according to a statement on its website. Marquardt said his trees reach maturity in six to 10 years on average, and Christmas trees on his farm range from $30 to $40, with prices as marked on Noble firs. Marquardt Farms is located on 53830 McKay Drive in Scappoose and is open Mondays, Wednesdays, and weekends from 10 a.m. to dusk, and Thursdays and Fridays 12 p.m. to dusk. Trenholm Tree Farm Trenholm Tree Farm Owner Gerry Reinholdt has overseen Christmas tree operations for 50 years, and he said he believes the industry is showing no signs of slowing down. When it comes to labor, Reinholdt said he doesn’t see an issue at his St. Helens tree farm, however, he acknowledged that it takes a certain kind of person to be a grower. “There’s not that many people willing to put 10 years of their life in do without making any money before they even get the first crop,” he said. “It’s just you based on the land, you got to be there, and want to do something with it. But you’re not going to go out and find people making any money on it.” Reinholdt said there are not many growers left in the industry. “I’m the last guy standing,” he said. Reinholdt’s trees take anywhere from eight to 10 years to grow, and he typi-
cally has 8,000 trees planted over the season. “That’s not ready to sell, trust me,” he said of the trees planted. The going rate for a Christmas tree at Trenholm is $60 regardless of size. Growers are offering limited manual support due to COVID-19. Trenholm growers request customers bring their own handsaw and cash or check only. Trenholm Tree Farm is open through Dec.19 Monday through Friday from noon to dark, and weekends from 9 a.m. to dark. Trenholm is locate at 62313 South Canaan Road in St. Helens. Trout Creek Farm Oregon Christmas Tree Growers Association President and Trout Creek Farms Founder Tom Nordy said while his own yield has remained steady, he knows other Christmas tree growers have had difficulty maintaining their supply. “Generally speaking, growers are having to manage their harvest and what they cut maybe a little bit differently this year,” he said. “They may be going through and doing a little more selective harvest this year where they’re cutting every other tree or every three.” Nordy said the trees he sells wholesale from his Corbett tree farm are experiencing a 5 to 8% price hike, a change he chalks up to rising fuel, labor, and day-to-day expenses. On top of a fluctuation in prices, the severe weather event in June, extreme temperatures into the low 100s, had consequences for Christmas trees planted over spring. “The biggest impact
upon the Christmas tree industry was that three-day (heat dome) in June. (The dome) just sat over the whole Northwest region for several days and just never cooled off at night. All the Fir trees had red needles on them; all your plants had red leaves on them,” Nordy said. “Everything got cooked.” Nordy said fortunately, the heat dome had a lesser impact on his Christmas trees, but expressed greater concern over a tight labor market. “Probably the biggest challenge that every grower faces at this point is labor, same as everybody else,” he said. “To harvest Christmas trees, you’re asking people to go (work) outside in what has been a very wet November. You’re always wet, you’re working hard, you’re lifting 20 pounds constantly all day long (and) you only have about eight hours of daylight to work.” Oregon is the single largest Christmas tree producer in the nation, according to Nordy. “At one time, if Clackamas County was a state, it would have been the third largest producer of Christmas trees in the nation,” Nordy said. “It’s something that Oregon can be super proud of, that we produce high quality green product for the world versus petrochemical Christmas trees, which have no positive impact on the environment.” Nordy said artificial Christmas trees, despite their long-lasting durability, degrade, rather than improve environmental quality. “What are your artificial Christmas trees? It’s petroleum from the Middle
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East shipped over to China made into plastic wrapped around some wire. If you don’t use that tree for a decade, you’re creating a huge carbon footprint on our globe,” he said. “If you buy a real cut Christmas tree, we can ship hundreds and hundreds of those in a semi-truck down the road.” “We’re doing great work as Christmas tree farmers in helping sequester carbon,” he said. Nordy and Terri Barnes founded their wholesale Christmas tree farm, Trout Creek Tree Farm in 1998, on a 40-acre plot in the foothills of the western side of Cascade Mountains near Corbett. The first trees were planted in the Spring of 1999. Nordy said he plants 10,000 seedlings every year, with an annual harvest yielding 6,000 Christmas trees on average. The growth period of a Christmas tree ranges from six to eight years. Christmas trees are priced per foot. See troutcreekfarm.com for more information. Trout Creek Farm is located on 39426 SE Trout Creek Rd. in Corbett. Call 503- 307-1609 for hours and availability. Tips for buyers Once you get that fresh tree home, the National Christmas Tree Association offers the following recommendations: • To display the trees indoors, use a stand with a water holding capacity of 1 quart of water per inch of stem diameter. • Use a stand that fits your tree. Avoid whittling the sides of the trunk down
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to fit a stand. The outer layers of wood are the most efficient in taking up water and should not be removed. • Make a fresh cut to remove about a 1/2-inch thick disk of wood from the base of the trunk before putting the tree in the stand. Make the cut perpendicular to the stem axis. • Check the stand daily to make sure that the level of water does not go below the base of the tree. • Keep trees away from major sources of heat. Lowering the room temperature will slow the drying process, resulting in less water consumption each day. • Monitor the tree for freshness. After Christmas or if the tree is very dry, remove it from the house. • Never burn any part of a Christmas tree in a wood stove or fireplace. • When it’s time to take the tree down, visit the National Christmas Tree Association’s online tree recycling page to find a recycling program near you.
$62 million in extra SNAP benefits Originally published in The Chief Vol. 130 Dec. 10, 2021 STAFF REPORT chiefnews@countrymedia.net
Most Oregonians who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will receive emergency allotments this month. The federal government has approved emergency allotments every month since March 2020. This gives SNAP recipients additional support during the COVID-19 pandemic. In December, approximately 391,000 SNAP households
will receive approximately $62 million in extra food benefits in addition to their regular SNAP benefits. “We are grateful to have the opportunity to provide emergency benefits to most SNAP households in Oregon,” Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS), Self-Sufficiency Program Director Dan Haun said. “We also know that many Oregonians are still struggling to meet their basic needs due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and we encourage them to contact our partners at 211 and the Oregon Food Bank for support during this difficult time.” Emergency allotments will be available on Dec. 11 for current SNAP households.
New SNAP households will receive the emergency allotments Dec. 30 or Jan. 4. SNAP recipients do not have to take any action to receive these supplemental benefits as they will be issued directly on their EBT cards. More information about emergency allotments is available at https://www.oregon. gov/dhs/ASSISTANCE/ FOOD-BENEFITS/Pages/ About-SNAP.aspx. Questions about your SNAP benefits should be directed to the ONE Customer Service Center at 1-800-6999075. If you are a SNAP household and your income or the number of people in your household has changed,
it could impact your benefits. It is important to make sure ODHS has the most up-to-date information. You can report any changes to your income or household in many ways: • Online at: ONE.Oregon. gov • By mail at: ONE Customer Service Center, PO Box 14015, Salem, OR 97309 • By fax at: 503-378-5628 • By phone at: 1-800-6999075 or TTY 711 Resources to help meet basic needs • Find a food pantry: foodfinder.oregonfoodbank.org. • Learn about government
Courtesy photo
SNAP is an assistance program designed to help approximately 1 million eligible, low-income families and individuals in Oregon, including many older adults and people with disabilities, with emergency food allotments and other benefits.
programs and community resources for older adults and people with disabilities: Aging and Disability Resource Connection of Oregon at 1-855-
673-2372 or www.adrcoforegon.org. • Dial 2-1-1, or text your zip code to 898-211, www.211info.org.