Farmers in Oregon had their ‘worst summer ever’ as heat, drought and extreme weather threaten industry

It happened overnight. Larry Ryerson, 78, woke up on a Sunday morning in late June in Medford, southern Oregon, to find thousands of seedlings on his 10-acre Christmas tree farm dying.

Their bright green coloring had drained away after a day of triple digit temperatures. And over the next two days, as temperatures climbed as high as 115F, Ryerson watched the young trees, many just over a foot tall, turn brown and die.

“It just kind of breaks your heart that you go out there and one day they’re nice fresh-looking trees, and the next day, they’re wilted and turning colors,” said Ryerson, who co-owns U Cut Christmas Tree Farm with his sister. “And there’s nothing you can do about it.”

Ryerson estimated that he lost 4,500 trees and was only able to keep his u-cut open for three days this year because of the lack of inventory. His business, which has been around for almost four decades, typically opens around Thanksgiving and continues to sell all the way through Christmas Day.

“I just feel so sorry that a lot of people come up here year after year to get their own tree and we’re one of the few tree farms left in the valley,” he said.

Ryerson isn’t alone. Christmas tree farms across Oregon, the nation’s largest producer, have found themselves in a precarious position after a year of extreme weather.