Michigan families going to get a Christmas tree this weekend might have a harder time than normal.
Finding a Christmas tree is a time-old tradition for many Michigan families, but supply chain issues and rising transportation costs are impacting the industry, according to Michigan State University.
"Sometimes it's a matter of a wholesaler may have trees harvested and ready to go, but they are having trouble with the logistics of lining up their trucking and their shipping and those sorts of things," said Bert Cregg, forestry professor at Michigan State University.
Cregg said the COVID-19 pandemic increased the demand for real Christmas trees.
"You couldn't do indoor things, you could only do outdoor things," he said. "So going out and getting a choose-and-cut tree was a popular thing to do and a lot of people rediscovered or discovered having a real tree and so that has kind of had a little spike in the demand."
The National Christmas Tree Association found that Christmas tree sales topped 22 million last year.
You can research potential farms at the Michigan Christmas Tree Association website before heading out to find your tree.
