As the Holiday Season kicks into high gear, many are on the hunt for that perfect Christmas tree; but just how does that tree get all the way from the farm to your living room? Spoiler alert: semi trucks play a huge role.
The United States is home to approximately 15,000 Christmas tree farms. While these festive trees are grown and harvested in each of our 50 states, Oregon, North Carolina, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Washington, New York, and Virginia are the top Christmas-tree producers in the country.
Typically, each tree starts as a tiny seed in a greenhouse, and is grown for seven or eight years before it is harvested for the Holiday Season. The tree is allowed to grow free for around three years before the farmers begin trimming them into the classic Christmas tree look Americans know and love today.
A team of workers then chop down the trees, bale them, and load them onto a truck with the help of helicopters. The truck then typically brings these trees to a railroad station, where 550-750 trees are stacked into each rail car and transported to locations across the country.
Upon arrival, each tree will then be reloaded onto a truck and brought to a store for purchase, where it will be selected by a family looking for a little Christmas cheer.
So, next time you go Christmas tree shopping, just remember all the men and women drivers who helped get it there! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.