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And it's become increasingly hard for him to work the farm as he has for decades, which is part of the reason why Eli stepped in to help out his family this summer." Mike McGee, who is 69 years old, was diagnosed with ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease, in 2015. "So, while the McGee's had an unfortunate year dealing with the increased environmental crises that are compounding on their farms, they were also dealing with a family crisis. Along with that, the McGee's are dealing with a health crisis. Second, the seeds that do make it are having trouble establishing themselves without the shade provided by the overhead canopy and increasingly dry conditions."ĭue to extreme weather events, Estrin said there will likely be a shortage of Christmas trees this season, and they will come at high prices. So, the reason for this is twofold conifers carry seeds in their cones, and it's not easy for those seeds to travel to the interiors of increasingly large, burned patches. A UC Davis researcher found in a study last year that conifer trees, especially those growing at low elevations as they do in El Dorado County, are struggling to survive after wildfires, especially when followed by a drought. And ecologists are looking at the species with concern. "Wild conifers have increased in the American West for hundreds of thousands of years. It was severe, and it was a big loss for them."Īlong with the Christmas trees, Estrin says conifers were affected by the drought. And the McGee family attributes to increased temperatures and decreased rainfall. And by the end of the summer, 80% or 16,000 trees didn't survive. "Mike McGee planted 2,000 seedlings this February. Unfortunately, El Dorado County went through a dry winter, and Estrin said the crops were impacted. They had cars wrapping around their lot and had an incredible turnout," Estrin added. You can imagine many families were looking for outdoor activities or something to get outside and do with little ones, which fits the bill perfectly. "When Christmas came around last year, they had one of their busiest tree seasons in recent memory. When the pandemic hit last year, many small businesses shut down, but the McGee's business thrived. He has since passed the farm down to his son, Eli Mickey, who is 34 years old and had previously been working at a biotech company in San Luis Obispo," said Estrin. "Mike McGee planted his first round of conifers in 1978. Their business prospered, and their son Mike eventually took over. Omer and Elinor McGee opened El Dorado County's first Christmas tree farm.
Along with that, they would also have to decide whether to build the farm’s first irrigation system, a project expensive in time and resources.
Losses from the blaze totaled nearly $75,000, and to rebuild, they’d need to remove the dead trees and restore the fence.
But drought and wildfires are causing a difficult year for Christmas tree farmers like the McGee’s, who have been in business since 1952.
Cutting down a fresh Christmas tree is a family tradition for many during the holiday season.