DES MOINES (AP) — The last few years have been difficult for Iowa Christmas tree farmers, as drought, disease, and deer have killed many young trees.
For anyone entering the business, those hurdles are too high, said Jan Pacovsky, president of the Iowa Christmas Tree Growers Association.
“Younger growers that are coming in don’t seem to want to stick with it, like us old-timers, because they find that it’s really a lot of work,” said Pacovsky, who head Pine Acres farm in New Hampton.
Disease can be a threat and drought in the past few years has killed many trees.
Many longtime growers also are aging out of the business. New farmers are not coming on board to replace retirees, she said. On average, most growers in the association are between the ages of 65 and 70, Pacovsky said.