PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release
November 17, 2006 www.agr.ne.gov		Contact: Christin Kamm (402) 471-6856

LINCOLN - Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) Director Greg Ibach is encouraging Nebraskans to purchase and enjoy Nebraska-grown Christmas trees this holiday season.

"Nebraska growers offer a wide range of beautifully grown Christmas trees," Director Ibach said. "When you visit a Nebraska Christmas tree farm to purchase a real Christmas tree, you will not only have a special tree for the holidays, you'll also be supporting your local economy."

Nebraska Christmas tree operations offer numerous varieties of Pine, Spruce and Fir trees. Many of the Christmas tree farms also offer wreaths, swags, garlands, family pictures, snacks, wagon rides, as well as gift and craft shops. Other services offered by some of the farms include tree cleaning, netting and loading assistance.

To help consumers find Nebraska Christmas tree farms, NDA has released the 2006-2007 Nebraska Christmas Tree Growers directory. The directory features 41 tree farms from across the state. A copy of the directory is available through NDA's Ag Promotion and Development Division by calling 800-422-6692. Copies may also be obtained at local county extension offices, Natural Resources Districts (NRD), and the Natural Resources Conservation and Development (RC&D) offices. The directory is also available on-line at www.agr.ne.gov under Brochures.