CSRA Christmas tree farm working to bounce back after Hurricane Helene
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Thanksgiving week marks the opening of many live Christmas tree markets.
But thousands of those trees were damaged by Hurricane Helene.
One local tree grower has worked incredibly hard to make sure you can have a live tree this year.
Matthew Gay owns Gay’s Christmas Tree Farm, which has been in recovery mode since Helene.
“We had a lot of damage out here. We had probably 5,000 to 6,000 trees leaning over at a 45-degree angle,” he said. “So we spent about 500 to 600 man hours straightening trees up.”
They’ve been doing everything they can to get back to normal.
“We had about 20 people working every day to get trees straightened back up. It did throw me behind a little bit on my trimming,” he said.
And on top of all that, prices for everything have gone up nearly everywhere.
MORE FROM NEWS 12
Thanksgiving: Much is the same and much is different this year
- What to know about Thanksgiving cooking or carry-out in CSRA
- Holiday has a new meaning this year for those affected by Helene
- CSRA travelers need to brace for ‘busiest Thanksgiving ever’
- Flying out of Atlanta? Prepare to hunt for a parking spot
- Here are local gas prices heading into Thanksgiving week
- Why Augusta is at ground zero for house fire risks this week
- James Brown Foundation hosts 33rd annual turkey giveaway
“Everything has gone up,” he said. “Fraser firs have gone up. Douglas fir have gone up. Our trees went up just a little bit, just just because of everything we’re using to grow them and keep them healthy and maintain them, has gone up.”
But he’s still making sure people can enjoy the holiday season, despite what they might be going through at home.
“I think people are just wanting to get back to something normal, with this, with the storm, the elections, all of this is behind us now, so everybody’s wanting to get back to some normalcy,” Gay said.
After everything that has happened this year, you can come out to the Christmas tree farm for a sense of normalcy. When you pick out your tree, you can also roast marshmallows -- sit by the fire, enjoy some hot chocolate and even go on a hay ride.
“This weekend coming up will be our busier typically, over the past 22 years, has been the busiest weekend of the year,” Gay said.
He’s working hard to prepare for the season while staying grateful for what he still has.
“I think we’re very fortunate in that respect that we, you know, we may have a tarp over our house or whatnot, but we still have a house to stay in,” he said. “So I think we’ve got some things to celebrate.”
Copyright 2024 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
