While most farmers in Grey Bruce are enjoying some down time now the harvest is finished, not so for Christmas Tree growers.
Their harvest has been well underway for several weeks and will continue for the next little while.
President of the Ontario Christmas Tree Growers Association Don Robaitaille says more people appear to be switching back to real trees as opposed to artificial ones.
He also says this year the tree of choice for the majority of consumers this year is the Fraser Fir which has taken over from the Balsam Fir and Scots Pine.
He says its a bit of a guessing match for producers to predict which species of tree the public will want in the future, as it takes about 10 years for Christmas trees to mature before being harvested.
Robaitaille says many farmers are planting several different species in the hope that one type will be what the public demands in the future.
Robaitaille says like other producers in the Agricultural sector, tbey are seeing their profits on the decline and costs on the increase.
He says too many trees on the market will drive down prices and they are being pressed by higher imput costs for fuel and fertilizer.
About 725 Christmas tree farms are in Ontario and the value of farm cash receipts for Christmas trees in Canada last year was over 58 million dollars.
