All it takes is a quick cruise down Seminole Trail in Charlottesville to see hundreds of Christmas trees.
And all of those pop-up Christmas tree shops are hoping you buy a real tree this holiday season. The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services says that each year, Virginia Christmas tree growers contribute $50 million to the economy.
The owner of one stand says trees at the big-box stores aren't fresh like local ones.
"Some of your smaller tree lots and smaller stands should be able to get it, get their trees within a couple days. For instance our trees, we've had them on the lot now for 10 days and they're literally 11 days old," said Bart Newmann, owner of Creative Concepts Landscaping.
Another advantage is that real trees are a renewable resource; for each one harvested, two seedlings are planted in its place.
