Find fresh, locally grown trees for the holidays with Virginia Christmas Tree guide

Start your holiday planning with a copy of the 2015 Virginia Grown Christmas Tree Guide. Published by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) in cooperation with the Virginia Christmas Tree Growers Association, the guide is a resource for finding choose-and-cut, fresh-cut and live Christmas trees across the Commonwealth. Complimentary copies are available through tourist information centers, libraries and Virginia Cooperative Extension offices.

“Most choose-and-cut tree farms and retail lots open the Friday after Thanksgiving,” said VDACS Commissioner Sandra J. Adams. “The Virginia Christmas Tree Guide is a valuable resource to find the perfect, fresh-cut tree for your holiday celebrations while supporting Virginia’s farmers and the local economy.”

The guide lists growers alphabetically by county. Each listing includes the varieties of trees for sale, services offered, the hours of operation and directions. The information is also available online at VirginiaGrown.com. When planning a visit, VDACS encourages customers to contact the Christmas tree farm to confirm hours and product availability.

A real, Virginia Grown Christmas tree is the centerpiece of the holiday season and choosing the perfect one is often an essential part of the tradition and the fun. Virginia has more than 500 Christmas tree farms located throughout the state.

The Virginia Christmas tree industry ranks #7 in the U.S. by total trees harvested, #8 in the U.S. by total acres in production and #9 in the U.S. by number of operations with Christmas tree sales, according to 2012 U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics released in May 2014.