DOVER — Thirty Delaware farmers have fresh-cut and live Christmas trees available for First State families this holiday season, with local firs, spruces and pines in abundance – all easy to find at de.gov/christmastrees.

“Buying a local live tree from a Delaware farm is the best way to help farmers while having some good old-fashioned family fun,” said Delaware Secretary of Agriculture Ed Kee. “There’s nothing like the scent of a fresh-cut tree combined with knowing you’re helping a local Delaware-grown family business.”

Growing Christmas trees is a specialized business in Delaware, with growers selecting particular varieties for attractiveness or other features. It typically takes seven to 10 years to grow a thriving 7-foot-tall First State Christmas tree. Christmas trees also help the environment by taking in carbon dioxide and sending fresh oxygen out, and farms help provide habitat for wildlife while stabilizing the soil. This is the busiest time of year for Delaware’s Christmas tree farmers, but they work year-round to care for their trees.