Sustainability
Real Christmas Trees Are Good for the Environment
Choosing a real Christmas tree from Little Hills isn't just a tradition, it's an environmentally responsible choice that supports local farms, protects wildlife habitat, and helps fight climate change.
Help the Environment
Why Fresh Christmas Trees Benefit Our Planet
When you cut a tree at Little Hills Christmas Tree Farm you help stop global warming. How's that again? Isn't it supposed to be plant a tree, cool the globe? Not when the tree is a real Christmas tree.
That's because Christmas tree growers nationwide have planted over one million acres of trees. Most of these trees are planted on marginal soil not suited for other forestry or agricultural purposes. Christmas trees are grown on farms and plantations for the specific purpose of being harvested as Christmas trees. These trees are grown on farms, not in forests, so when you harvest them you are not taking anything out of the natural world. Instead, you are supporting a family farm, shopping local and helping to protect a greenbelt in your community.
During their growth cycle trees grown for harvest add beauty to the landscape and shelter for wildlife. These trees also clean the air by absorbing carbon dioxide-laden air and sending out fresh, oxygenated air. Environmental experts point out that tree farms fight the greenhouse effect directly by providing cooling and air conditioning greenbelts in our hot cities and towns. These tree plantations would not exist without the demand for real Christmas trees.
Grown to Give Back
Christmas Trees Are a Renewable Resource
When a Christmas tree is harvested another tree is planted in its place, continuing the growing cycle. Christmas trees are also 100% recyclable, with the most common recycled product being garden mulch. Your Little Hills Christmas Tree Farm tree can be recycled by participating in the countywide Christmas tree recycling program.
Christmas Tree Farms Create a Green Belt
In many cases, the land where Christmas trees are grown would otherwise be used for housing. Our small farm provides much-needed habitat for rabbits, deer, raccoons, badgers and several species of birds. As we continue to encroach upon habitat in other areas of our county, Little Hills Christmas Tree Farm provides a haven for our native wildlife. Plus, our trees keep the air clean. Take a deep breath while you're here. We know you'll discover the difference.
The Truth About Fake Trees
Many people agree that from a personal and public health standpoint, harvested Christmas trees are the better choice. Some might make a case for fake trees because they are re-used every year. But fake trees are made with polyvinyl chloride (or PVC, otherwise known as vinyl), one of the most environmentally devastating forms of non-renewable, petroleum-derived plastic. In addition to the poisonous off-gassing from PVC in your home, the methods for creating PVC are detrimental to the environment because of the toxic wastes. Plus, PVC never biodegrades. Once you buy a fake Christmas tree, that fake tree will exist forever without any way to recycle or reuse. Your real Christmas tree, when recycled properly, will make its way back into the soil to nourish the next generation of trees.