PORTLAND, Ore. — Just 17 days from Christmas, tree farmers in the Portland area say business has been really good in 2020. In fact, some farms are already sold out for the season.
Tree farmers said they’re seeing a higher demand and in some cases, families are buying more than one Christmas tree.
Allison Bruns, who runs Misty Ridge Tree Farm in Oregon City, said the last few weeks have been nonstop. She said she can’t remember the last time she had a day off.
"This year has been different in that everyone is excited to start celebrating early, so I was getting calls the week before Thanksgiving asking if I was open," Bruns said.
At her farm, she’s only taking customers by appointment to cut trees -- $10 a foot, the same price as last year.
“We have to do that to make sure we have a good inventory for next year. That way, I can maintain the size and quality of trees and make sure we have the same inventory for next year and not oversell,” said Bruns.
For some Christmas tree farmers, this year's inventory is already long gone.
“Farms are only going to sell a certain amount of trees for a season," said Tom Norby who owns Trout Creek Tree Farm near Corbett. "They have designated 1,000, maybe 1,500, for that season and boom, they’re sold out in a weekend," said Tom Norby, who owns Trout Creek Tree Farm near Corbett.
One thing Bruns has noticed this year is that more families are leaving with more than just one tree. She said she’s been seeing more families getting table top trees for their kids and families making the holidays extra nice this year.
Now more than ever, Christmas trees seem to give families a sense of normalcy, even if the high demand means you have to hunt even longer for the perfect one.