(Missourinet/KTTN) – Missouri’s agriculture industry has been severely impacted by the drought in 2023, with the Christmas tree farming sector also experiencing significant struggles. Troy Bollinger of Bollinger Farms in Bonne Terre describes 2023 as a particularly tough year for their operations.
Bollinger notes that while the larger, more established trees are coping moderately well, the drought has still presented challenges. “It has more so in the future than the immediate. My larger trees that are more fully established, they are doing fair to good, struggling with the drought but still dealing with it,” he explains.
We did suffer significant losses in the smaller trees and especially the seedlings and stuff. We wound up having to do away with some of those, or they did away with themselves, I guess is the more accurate phrase due to the weather and the drought.”
However, the impact on younger trees and seedlings has been more severe. “We did suffer significant losses in the smaller trees and especially the seedlings and stuff. We wound up having to do away with some of those, or they did away with themselves, I guess is the more accurate phrase due to the weather and the drought,” Bollinger adds.
The dry conditions in Missouri have had a pronounced effect on Christmas tree farms. Bollinger recounts the challenges faced earlier in the year: “We did experience, I know in May and June, on our particular farm, for two months, we received a grand total of three-tenths of an inch of rain for two months. With the warmer temperatures we had back in June, that was just torment on those small seedlings.”
The Missouri Christmas Tree Producers Association reports that the state is home to approximately 40 tree farms, many of which are likely facing similar difficulties due to the drought.
