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JACKSON, Miss. – As the holiday season nears, the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce (MDAC) hosted the latest Freshly Picked podcast on all things Christmas trees, featuring special guests from Pontotoc County and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Listeners can tune in to the “We’re Just Missing the Presents: How to Maintain Your Christmas Tree” episode with Adam and Ali Carnes, owners of Carnes Farms, and Mike Buchart, president of the Southern Christmas Tree Association (SCTA), today.
As Christmas tree specialists, these special guests provide unique insight into the benefits and maintenance of having a real tree. The Carnes are first-generation farmers who began growing Christmas trees on their 150 acre-farm in 2019. Adam felt led by the Lord in his vision to start a Christmas tree farm and describes the process as a leap of faith for their family who had never grown Christmas trees before. Both Adam and Ali describe the ever-evolving business of owning and operating their farm within this episode. They go on to discuss their favorite variety of trees and the joy of watching families make lifelong memories. Buchart provides insider knowledge on Christmas tree farms and tips for maintaining a real tree. As SCTA president, he works to help Christmas tree growers across Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi navigate the challenges of growing these evergreens. He says he is proud of the SCTA organization which continues to grow and is all about “members helping members.”
Tune in to this week’s episode at www.msfreshlypicked.com and on all major podcast platforms. Find a complete list of Christmas tree farms, as well as tips for caring for fresh trees and practical information, at www.mschristmastrees.com.
The Freshly Picked podcast series, developed by MDAC, will feature 24 episodes and include specialty crop farmers, experts, entrepreneurs and/or chefs as they tell the stories behind their farms, businesses and the unique products they offer. Listeners can find new episodes every Thursday through February 2025 at www.msfreshlypicked.com, Spotify, Apple Podcasts or other major platforms.