South Dakota Suffering Substantial Christmas Tree Shortage

Christmas is almost here but if you are looking to buy a fresh Christmas tree in South Dakota you might have a hard time finding one.

Dakota News Now is reporting Oakridge Nursery and Landscaping in Brandon is almost out of trees at a time when they would normally have a great selection on hand.

Oakridge co-owner Daemon Coughlin stated: “Usually, this building would be full this time of year. Everything would be off the ground and inside and we’d have a good selection of 40 to 50 trees left.”

Lewis Drug’s lawn and garden buyer Doug Schroeder says that the regional chain of Lewis stores have Christmas trees but they had to find a new supplier.

There appears to be an issue with tree suppliers due to a national trend of farmers retiring and fewer people wanting to take over the farms.

Schroeder explained “That’s what you’re seeing a lot throughout the country. Less growers, so less supply, and so that created a little bit of a shortage.”

Lewis Drug had the same supplier from Wisconsin for about 30 years but had to seek out a new supplier in Michigan.

Most of America's Christmas Trees are grown in Oregon, Washington, North Carolina, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

NBC reported that the shortage of Christmas trees goes back to recession of 2008 when there was an over supply of trees and growers couldn't sell what they had gown.

And because of that they didn't re-plant as many young Christmas trees.