No longer does choosing a Christmas tree have to get riddled down to looks alone– consumers can now also choose how “green” it is. And this isn’t just about whether the needles are hunter green, or emerald green– there’s now a system that can help people identify whether or not their tree has been grown under certain environmental standards.
The Coalition of Environmentally Conscious Growers has set an inspection process that tree farms may go through to test their growing methods–these include water and soil conservation practices. Although the trees are not organic, the inspections can help crack down on concerns like pesticide usage.
Coalition co-founder Joe Sharp cites education as one of the driving forces behind the organization.
“Now when consumers buy a tree, they can be sure that the tree was grown with the best intentions for the environment in mind,” he said.
The coalition’s members are three large Oregon growers who altogether harvest over 2 million trees yearly. Over a dozen other tree growers are waiting to join, and the coalition hopes to take their system nationwide.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004032648_greentrees24e.html
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