Wisconsin Farmers Keep the Christmas Tree Industry Growing

Wisconsin farmers are wrapping up their fall fieldwork, and many are also continuing to focus on the critical role immigrant labor plays in keeping agricultural operations running. Dairy farmer Hans Breitenmoser and Sheila Everhart of the Wisconsin Agricultural Tourism Association join Pat Kreitlow, host of Mornings with Pat Kreitlow, to discuss the connections between farm labor, holiday traditions, and Washington, D.C. policy.  

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Listen to the complete discussion, starting at the halfway point, here:

[podcast src="https://civicmedia.us/shows/mornings-with-pat-kreitlow/2025/11/18/grocery-store-police-hour-2"]

Breitenmoser just returned after a week in the nation’s capital where he spent time advocating with the American Business Immigration Coalition (ABIC). The Lincoln County man joined fellow farmers and small business owners in an effort to urge lawmakers — on both sides of the aisle — to understand how essential immigrant workers are to Wisconsin agriculture.

“There were plenty of us trying to educate legislators,” he explains. “The White House has said many times we need to protect our farms and hotels, but the actions from ICE tell a different story. Our job was to remind lawmakers what’s really happening on the ground.”

Breitenmoser says the urgency for solutions is higher than ever with immigration enforcement creating new pressures on farms. And the need stretches far beyond dairy.

“We’ve got a local Christmas tree grower who depends on H-2A workers to stay in business,” he shares. “When you pick out a tree for your living room, thank an immigrant. That tree wouldn’t be there without them.”

A Holiday Industry Rooted in Hard Work

Everhart agrees. She works closely with the Wisconsin Christmas Tree Producers Association in her ag tourism role. And she sees firsthand how important skilled seasonal labor is for the trees grown across the state every year. 

“Our small family farms rely on workers from other countries to help bring those beautiful trees into your home,” Everhart says. “A real tree is sustainable, fragrant, and supports rural economies.”

Nearly 2 million Christmas trees are harvested annually from more than 800 farms in Wisconsin, ranking the state fifth in the nation and contributing $50 million in sales to the state’s economy. 

Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection

Wisconsin has hundreds of family-owned tree farms preparing for the season. This includes the producers behind this year’s State Capitol Holiday Tree—a 30-foot beauty from Whispering Pines Tree Farm in Oconto County. It’s been growing for more than 20 years by former farm owners Dave and Mary Vander Velden. They are same family that once supplied a Christmas tree to the White House.

Watch the harvesting of the holiday tree here.

This year’s Capitol tree is called The Learning Tree. Kids across the state will decorate it with handmade ornaments focused on education and childcare themes. It will be officially lit at noon on December 4.

More Than Trees — A Wisconsin Tradition

Wisconsin’s real Christmas trees are part of a much larger story: sustainability, family traditions, and hands-on learning.

“Christmas trees don’t grow in one year,” Everhart explains. “It takes years of hard work. For every tree cut, another is planted. They absorb carbon, support wildlife habitats, and keep rural communities strong.”

Many of the farms also offer workshops where families can make wreaths, porch pots, or even Norwegian “kissing balls.” These activities, Everhart shares, help people connect with the land and with each other.

Breitenmoser has his own memories of family traditions, including cutting several trees each year for his home and for relatives. He laughs when recalling the year, a young daughter worried they were “killing the tree.” He turned it into a lesson in forestry’s cycle of growth and renewal.

Looking Ahead to the Holidays

Both Breitenmoser and Everhart are preparing for Thanksgiving. Breitenmoser  jokes that his role is simply to “show up and eat,” while Everhart shares the news that her 13-year-old granddaughter harvested her first deer this year—making her part of the family’s seventh generation of hunters.

Everhart also reminds listeners that Wisconsin’s farmers, foresters, and immigrant workers all play a part in the seasonal joy that fills homes across the state and beyond.

“When Christmas tree farms thrive,” she says, “so do our rural communities.”

RESOURCES:

• Download the Real Tree Buyer’s Guide at realchristmastreeboard.com

• Read the Wisconsin Real Tree Finder List at christmastrees-wi.org