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Henry County Among Illinois' Leading Christmas Tree Growers
By now, most of those in Illinois who celebrate Christmas have bought and decorated their Christmas tree. But did you know there's a good chance that tree was grown here in Illinois?

According to the Illinois Department of Agriculture, Illinois has 291 Christmas tree farms and ranks 17th in tree production in the country.

USDA statistician Brad Schwab says the value of the Illinois crop in 2007 was worth $6.5 million. In that year, 112,617 trees were harvested in the state, according to the 2007 Census of Agriculture.

The best selling varieties include Scotch pine, Douglas fir, Noble fir and Fraser fir. Schwab believes most trees grown in the state stay within the Midwest.

The top 10 Illinois counties by number of trees harvested:

* McHenry - 15,117

* Macon - 7,575

* Saint Clair - 4,418

* Henry - 4,149

* Peoria - 2,892

* Stephenson - 2,480

* Rock Island - 1,497

* Kane - 1,052

* Jo Daviess - 910

* Carroll - 789

(Illinois Radio Network)
12 18 09 by Newsroom
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