It was almost like changing a tradition.
For about 15 years, the price of a Christmas tree at the Patchet Brook Tree Farm in Tiverton had held steady.
This year, with an economy affected by energy costs driven by hurricanes along the Gulf Coast, Patchet Brook owner Jean Helger Bento said she was forced to raise the farm’s average price slightly.
“This is how we make a living,” Helger Bento said. “It’s not a hobby, it’s our income.”
Helger Bento is among the growers in the Rhode Island Christmas Tree Growers Association who have said they had to increase their prices this year, said association president, Jane Durning.
Durning – who runs Riverside Christmas Tree Farm in Charlestown – said in a recent poll of members that growers on the eastern side of the state were more likely to have raised their prices this year.
In the northern part of the state, there have been sporadic jumps in prices. Increases are few and far between in the southern part of Rhode Island, said Durning, adding that Riverside did not increase its prices this year. “Every farm is differently priced,” she said. “Every farm across the state is going to charge differently.”
The ones who have raised prices, she said, cited increases in expenses such as pesticides, herbicides and transportation. The recent rate increases of UPS and FedEx also have added costs to growers.
“It’s just costing more to get things shipped in,” Durning said. “So the growers are shipping their costs onto their customers.”
The National Christmas Tree Association is expecting 27 million non-artificial Christmas trees to be sold this year, a number in line with figures from last year. Rick Dungey, a spokesman for the association, said he is unaware of any major jumps in the prices of trees this year, despite regional differences.
Tree sellers in states including Florida and California have said they will be selling their product from $3 to $5 more than they had last year.
Helger Bento said Patchet Brook has witnessed an increase in virtually every area of its operation. The increased price of fuel used to run equipment, jumps in payroll and the cost of marketing have all caused the price of her product to rise.
(Helger Bento said that because Patchet Brook “grades” trees rather than pricing them by size, she was unable to estimate how much her prices had risen this year. She did say some trees cost the same as they did last year.)
Ron Rossi – who runs Rossi Tree Farm in Cranston with his wife, Cheryl – says he has yet to go up in prices. However, in recent years the rising cost of operations has made it more difficult for the farm to turn a profit.
“It’s pretty much a losing proposition to be a tree farmer in Rhode Island,” Rossi said.
But Rossi, who said he is involved in other business ventures aside from tree growing, expressed concern about competing with larger retailers, including Home Depot and Wal-Mart, and sellers on the side of the road who do not grow their own products.
He said the price of his product is comparable, but often people choose the other options.
“There are only so many weekends to sell trees,” said Rossi, adding that some people would rather have the convenience of going to a store.
But both Helger Bento and Durning are not anticipating the slight rise in costs to hamper their holiday season on the farm.
Durning said farms that are part of the Rhode Island association give customers an experience unmatched by roadside operations and big-box retailers. The staffs are knowledgeable, she said, and able to provide information about the trees’ history and type.
In some cases, people spend as long as four hours on her farm looking at which tree they want and taking in the atmosphere of the farm.
“It’s not the money,” Durning said. “It’s the whole idea of being a family. That’s what Christmas tree growers are selling. We are selling a tradition.”
