LANSING – Michigan tree growers are so excited about Christmas that they’re planting trees eight years in advance.

While other industries fight to maintain jobs and revenue, statewide tree farmers are confident the holiday season will always be profitable.

The trees take eight years from planting to harvest, and Opper Land Farms owner Thurman Opper said they’re worth the investment.

“There’s always going to be a market for a quality Christmas tree,” Opper said.

Statewide, growers plant nearly 1.5 million seedlings every spring, according the Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA).  Nearly 900 growers, many of them part-time, earn a living by selling trees.

During the holiday season, buyers from Southeast Michigan go to Opper’s farm in New Haven.

“We get a lot of business from traffic on Interstate 94, and from Roseville, Warren, Sterling Heights, east Detroit and Mount Clemens,” Opper said.

Joe Stanczyk, owner of Stanczyk Tree Farm in Holly, said he’s exudes confidence, too.

“(Real) Christmas trees are a tradition,” Stanczyk said.  “A lot of people can’t think of having any other kind of tree.”

The Stanczyk and Opper farms run choose-and-cut farms where customers can pick a tree straight out of the field. Other farms sell trees to retailers at wholesale prices in and out of state.

“Those growers who put out a good tree will continue to profit,” Stanczyk said.

Buyers come from Highland, White Lake, Milford, Clarkston, Holly and Fenton to find trees at Stanczyk’s farm, he said.

Both growers said their past years have consistently been profitable.

Several varieties of Christmas trees are grown in Michigan because of the ideal climate, MDA said. 

The blue spruce is the most popular tree at Opper’s farm because it smells best.  Stancyzk said he sells several varieties of firs.

And with less competition this year, Opper expects more business.

“Some people left the business because they don’t like the work,” Opper said. “I do.”

He sells nearly 500 trees each season.  During his best year, he sold 1,000 trees.  Trees are sold for as low as $8.

“The closer you are to the metropolitan area where there’s a market, that’s where you’re going to get your biggest return on your investment,” Opper said.

Wholesalers in rural areas produce large numbers of trees and sell them to lots in urban areas.  

Opper said wholesalers produce ten times more trees than the choose-and-cut farms and sell the trees to retailers by the thousands to make a profit.