Toxic Free NC Tip of the Week: Organic NC Christmas Trees & Wreaths

December, 03, 2008 , by Billie Karel

It’s almost bells a-ring-a-ling-ing time - can you believe it? I can’t, but the calendar says it’s true, so I’m going to focus a bit on toxic-free tips for holiday celebrations this month! Starting with our main dish for today: Organic NC Christmas Trees & Wreaths.

Did you know that our very own NC is the number two producer of Christmas trees in the nation (after Oregon)? We are much beloved by people in the biz for growing lovely Fraser Fir trees. The downside is that Christmas tree production uses a good bit of chemicals, which threatens the health of workers, farm neighbors, and the surrounding ecosystem.

One particularly nasty chemical called disulfoton has been voluntarily taken off the market by its manufacturer, Bayer Crop Science, for all uses with only two little exceptions: Fraser Firs in NC and coffee trees in Puerto Rico. As of 2006, it was still used on around 32% of NC Christmas trees, though thankfully that number’s been going down every year. It’s an organophosphate (translation: nerve poison that is highly toxic to people as well as pests), and also a systemic pesticide, which means it is taken up into the tree through its roots, and runs through the tree’s whole system. The good news: the chemical is in the whole tree, so it doesn’t wash off in the rain, and the whole tree is protected from pests. The bad news: the chemical is IN the whole tree! It doesn’t wash off in the rain, so that highly-toxic nerve poison is still in the tree when you bring it home, in every needle that falls on your floor as the tree dries out, in every gooey bit of sap that gets stuck on you while you’re getting the thing hoisted and decorated. Think of little children rummaging under that tree for their presents, and the pets and babies that accidentally lick fallen needles….Not a very merry thought.

The solution: Get yourself an organic Christmas tree or wreath. Here’s Toxic Free NC’s guide to Organic NC Christmas Tree growers for 2008. Sadly, few are selling in Raleigh, but I bet you can find at least a little something. If you find anyone I didn’t have on my list, please let me know so I can add them! And, know that when you choose an organic tree or wreath grown in NC, you’ll be supporting an NC farmer who’s protecting our environment, not to mention buying a product that’s safer for you and for the workers who grew it. It’s a good thing, and a lovely way to get in the holiday spirit.

Good luck, and have a very happy holiday.

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