O' Christmas Tree, O' Christmas Tree

With Christmas Eve just 18 days away, it’s time to deck the halls and pick the perfect holiday tree.

According to a recent Columbus Dispatch article, about 1 million Ohio families will decorate a cut Christmas tree this holiday season. Whether you cut it down yourself at one of the state’s more than 200 Christmas tree farms or buy it pre-cut in a city lot, selecting just the right tree for your home can be a daunting task.

To help you make the right choice, here are the characteristics of the six most common evergreen varieties available in Ohio courtesy of The Ohio State University Extension:

Scotch Pine: Historically, the Scotch pine is the most common Christmas tree sold in the U.S., probably because it’s good at retaining its one-to-three inch long, green to blue-green needles.

Eastern White Pine: The second most popular pine Christmas tree among Ohio consumers has soft, two-to-five-inch long needles, but its flexible branches can’t hold heavy ornaments.

Blue Spruce: The Blue Spruce features a naturally symmetrical form that requires minimal clipping, but its sharp, stiff needles make it less than ideal for homes with small children.

Fraser Fir: Growing in popularity as a Christmas tree choice, the Fraser is a fragrant, dark green tree with one-half to one-inch-long flat needles with good retention.

Douglas Fir: This popular tree has a pleasant evergreen scent, soft, short needles and a strong natural symmetrical form that makes it an attractive Christmas tree choice.

Canaan Fir: Pronounced “kah-nane,” this tree variety is a relatively new Christmas tree variety that is becoming popular with growers because it will grow in areas that Fraser and Douglas firs will not. It features softer, slightly longer needles than the Fraser and a nice balsam scent.

Once you’ve selected a tree, here are tips for keeping it fresh and festive throughout the season:

• Before bringing the tree into your home, shake it outside to remove dead and loose needles 
• Place the tree in a stand that is strong enough to hold it upright and that can hold at least one gallon of water 
• Don’t place your tree near a heat source, such as a fireplace or even a sunny window
• Lowering the temperature in your home will help your tree last longer
• Replenish water on a daily basis to avoid dry, dropping needles and droopy branches

When the holiday is over, the Ohio Christmas Tree Association recommends recycling your tree. Many communities offer curbside pick up for trees or designated tree drop-off locations. Old Christmas trees can be used for mulch, compost or even placed in the wild for birds to use for shelter.

Photo obtained from: greatkids.outdoors.org

Because corn, soybeans and wheat are the agriculture industry’s major players, these crops most often come to mind when one thinks about farming.

Major products are corn (28 percent of industry revenue); soybeans (14 percent); fruits and nuts (12 percent) and wheat (7 percent). Other major crops include vegetables and melons, cotton, and potatoes. Of all farms, 48 percent are grain, oilseed, or dry beans/peas, accounting for 53 percent of all cropland revenue (Research and Markets).

But, specialty crops are an avenue of farming that can get overlooked. Our nation has a $50 billion specialty-crop industry with 247,772 specialty crop farms.

Specialty crops are defined as fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, nursery crops and maple syrup, which are of exceptional value now.

As the USDA states, “Specialty crops are a big part of what makes our seasonal holidays memorable. It’s difficult to find anything on the table that isn’t the result of the work of specialty crop growers—from potatoes, cranberry sauce, wine and pumpkin, or sweet potato pie to the nutmeg, cinnamon and herbs that season the dishes. And don’t forget the decorations—from Christmas trees and wreaths to mistletoe and poinsettias, all grown by U.S. specialty crop growers.”

Specialty crops are more labor-intensive and require more start-up costs compared to field crops, they come with more financial risk, though annual specialty crops, like pumpkins and sugarbeets, show an increased per-acre profit compared to field crops.

Because of this crop sector’s associated risks, USDA grants are providing funding to individuals and groups for projects to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops. In total, 28 grants will be awarded. According to a news release distributed by UC Davis:

“In all, USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded more than $46 million through the Specialty Crop Research Initiative, established by the 2008 Farm Bill to develop and disseminate science-based tools to address the needs of specific specialty crops.”

The grants invest in the research, promotion, marketing, food safety, education and product development of specialty crops.

Such grants have been awarded to improve lettuce varieties, water irrigation systems, and to develop a commercial brand pumpkin seed, among others.

The Buckeye State touts its fair share of the specialty crop industry.

Ohio Specialty Crops Facts (2007 Census of Agriculture)

• 6,472 total specialty crop farms
• 82,335 specialty crop acres
• 600 maple syrup farms
• 996 cut Christmas trees and short rotation woody crop farms

To view a list of 2009 grants awarded to bolster Ohio’s specialty crops, visit:

http://www.agri.ohio.gov/divs/SustainableAg/SpecialtyCrops/SpecialtyCrops.aspx.

As we continue to celebrate the holidays, what specialty crops are you using in your dishes? What specialty crops do you routinely eat? What specialty-crop projects would be a good investment for Ohio?

Photo obtained from: today.colostate.edu









Tree producers getting disaster relief

Crop farmers aren’t the only agricultural producers who are eligible for agricultural assistance.

Because of the Agricultural Disaster Relief Trust Fund, the 2008 Farm Bill opened the door to possible support not just to crop farmers but also to tree farmers across the country.

Thanks to financing provided by the fund, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) created the Tree Assistance Program (TAP). This program provides financial assistance to those orchard and nursery tree growers that must replant or rehabilitate eligible trees, bushes and vines damaged by natural disasters. To be eligible the damage had to occur on or after Jan. 1, 2008 and before Oct. 1, 2011.

"This program helps our orchardists and nursery tree growers replant and get back on their feet after natural disasters," said Tom Vilsack, agriculture secretary.

The tree industry is commonly overlooked. What most people don’t realize is that the fruit and tree-nut industry alone adds an average of $18 billion to the nation’s economy. According to the USDA, the average person consumes about 270.9 pounds of tree-bearing fruit each year.

Recently, the 2008 Farm Bill extended the program to include Christmas tree growers who were previously ineligible under prior legislation.

The Christmas tree industry is larger than most give it credit for. Here are a few facts about Christmas trees that many people do not realize:

• There are roughly 40 million trees sold during the Christmas season in the United States.
• There are about 1 million acres in production for growing Christmas trees.
• The industry is valued at approximately $506 million.
• Christmas tree growing contributes to the economies of all 50 states.
• For every tree harvested two to three seedlings are planted in its place.
• Each acre of trees grown provides daily oxygen for 18 people.

In an executive summary by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), the Agriculture Disaster Relief Trust Fund was created with the intent to compensate farmers who have experienced weather-related losses.

According to Vilsack, orchardists and nursery tree growers were eligible to start applying for benefits under the TAP in May of this year.

To be eligible for TAP, producers must have suffered more than a 15 percent death loss because of the natural disaster after adjustment for normal mortality. TAP is a cost-reimbursement program, with payments covering up to 70 percent of replant costs and 50 percent of pruning, removal and other salvaging costs for replacing or salvaging damaged trees.

Eligibility:

• Trees, bushes and vines from which an annual crop is produced for commercial purposes
• Nursery trees include ornamental, fruit, nut and Christmas trees produced for commercial sale
• Trees used for pulp or timber are ineligible

What are your thoughts about the program? Should the USDA offer more relief programs to other areas of agriculture? Should the program include trees used for timber and pulp?

*Photo obtained from: http://www.texaschristmastrees.com/