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Your Christmas Tree May be From Around Here
If you celebrate Christmas, chances are you've already bought your tree if needed. Agriculture officials say chances also are that tree you bought was grown somewhere in Illinois.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says the state is 17th in Christmas tree production statewide, with nearly three-hundred tree farms in the state, with several in the immediate area.

USDA Illinois agriculture statistician Brad Schwab says while some states do better with Christmas tree production, Illinois doesn't do too bad.

"All 50 states grow Christmas trees," Schwab said. "Oregon is actually the top producing state, and they grow 6.8 million trees. But, I would venture to say that the majority of Illinois trees are harvested, and cut, and sold within the state somewhere."

Schwab says of the top five counties in the state in terms of Christmas trees harvested, two are local. Henry County is fourth, with 4,100 trees harvested, while Peoria County is fifth with about 2,900.

McHenry County in the Chicago suburbs is tops in the state, with 15,000 Christmas trees harvested.

The 2007 Census of Agriculture does not list Knox County as producing any Christmas trees.

Schwab says Scotch Pine, Douglas Fir, Noble Fir, and Fraser Fir are the best selling varieties.
12 19 09 by Newsroom
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