Is Your Tree Certified Green?

The Coalition of Environmentally Conscious Growers, a 501-C (6) was founded by two Oregon farms in August 2007. Its mission is to certify that the live Christmas trees grown by its members have been and continue to be responsibly grown. Currently, there are four members of the organization, including the largest and fifth largest tree farms in the United States.

Water and soil management, as well as fertilizer and pest management, are examined by a third-party certifying company that is an experienced agricultural organization. In addition to being certified, members are interested in having their retail customers and the public-at-large further aware of live cut trees. Therefore, a significant marketing campaign is conducted nationally which includes radio, television, print and internet media coverage, plus various sales tools such as point-of-purchase materials and hang tags are made available to members of the Coalition.

Members say that their retail customers really like having the trees certified as “green” because the consumer is highly aware of the green movement in America.

Since the introduction of fake Christmas trees in the United States, a stream of misinformation has been disseminated. The Coalition addresses the marketing and awareness aspects of live cut Christmas trees and dispel the false claims through media. Christmas trees are not deforesting the country. Instead, they are grown as row crops, and for every tree that’s cut, another is planted. The misinformation continues and the Coalition continues to bring the truth to light.

Greg Rondeau and Mark Arkills of Holiday Tree Farms (the country’s largest grower) commented that, “Our customers understand how valuable it is to offer their customers certified grown Christmas trees.” Joe Sharp of Yule Tree Farms said, “I think it’s time for the Christmas tree industry to treat our trees as the eco-friendly consumer product that they really are.”