Wild Weather Made For Smaller Crop At Green Country Tree Farms

Local Christmas tree farms say our historic weather made for a smaller crop this year. Farms are working hard to keep with the demand this season, with the main attraction in low supply.

It's conventional wisdom around the farm: when the economy takes a hit, it's a good time to be in the Christmas tree business.

"It was a pretty severe hit this past summer with the weather conditions," said Bill Jacobs of the Owasso Christmas Tree Farm.

Jacobs says Oklahoma's historic heat dwindled the crop -- as the famously evergreen trees turned a color more resembling the state's waving wheat.

"There's a couple down in Purcell and they went out of business completely because of the drought. They lost all their trees," he said.

Here in Owasso, Jacobs says he's short about 400 trees this season.

"It just cuts back on the sales and we make less money on the trees we sell," Jacobs said.

But Jacobs says don't call him the Grinch who stole Christmas. He's not raising prices, just supplementing his supply with more trees from other states.

"As a farmer, you always think, tomorrow's going to be better and next year will be better also," Jacobs said.

He says he has to stay optimistic, because the hits keep coming. This year's bone-chilling cold winter devastated his blackberry crop, and that's how he makes his living after the holiday season.