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WNC Christmas tree sales are going at a brisk pace for local growers due to the heavy demand for the locally grown trees throughout the U. S. The 2000 Christmas tree season is shaping up to be one of the best years in Christmas tree sales for the local tree farmers in over seven years. 
"The State of Oregon has reported a small Christmas tree harvest, and this has driven up the demand for North Carolina Christmas trees," according to Bill Glenn, Marketing Specialist for the North Carolina Department of Agriculture.
The Christmas tree industry is big business for North Carolina with 1999 annual sales exceeding $100 million. North Carolina has over 16,000 tree farmers who sell approximately 3.5 million Christmas trees annually. Over 85% of the North Carolina Christmas tree harvest is sold out of state.
North Carolina has a Christmas tree inventory that is estimated at over 35 million trees on 23,500 acres. Ashe County, located in the northwest corner of WNC, leads the state with 9.8 million trees on 6,500 acres, according to a survey by the NC Department of Agriculture.
Of the estimated 1,600 Christmas tree growers, two-thirds have operations with less than 10 acres of trees, averaging 3 acres of trees for each tree farm. The 60 largest growers, operations having 100 or more acres, account for 51% of the Christmas tree inventory.
The WNC Farmers Market, located at 570 Brevard Road, is one of the best places to buy a Christmas tree due to the large selection of trees. The WNC Farmers Market sells approximately 17,000 trees each year. Trees are sold on a retail and wholesale basis at the WNC Farmers Market, and annual Christmas tree sales at the WNC Farmers Market exceed any other retail outlet in the state. 
To reach the WNC Farmers Market, take I-26 west and take exit #2 and then turn left on Highway 191. You will then travel for approximately 1.5 miles; the WNC Farmers Market will be on your right. If you are traveling on I-40, take exit #47 and turn left after taking the exit. The WNC Farmers Market will be on your left within a few hundred yards.
Happy Holidays from Asheville.com.
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