The Story of Little Saps - Part 2

Little Saps Owner and Founder, Carrie McClain

In The Story of Little Saps - Part 1, I told you that my parents are Christmas tree farmers and explained how our farm came to be. The next part is my chapter - how Little Saps came to be and what I hope it will become.

Agriculture has cycles - cycles of plenty and cycles of scarcity. For a variety of reasons, natural or man-made, some years there is an overabundance of a certain crop and other years certain crops can be difficult to find. The cycle moves quickly for many crops (from year to year) because most agricultural products are harvested in the year they are planted. But Christmas trees are unique. Christmas trees are harvested 10-20 years after they are planted, so cycles of plenty and scarcity for Christmas trees are the result of things that happened over a decade before and compounded by things that happen in the years since.

The Christmas tree industry recently came out of a glut and into a shortage. The glut was due to the over-planting of Christmas trees - Fraser Fir in our area. Growing Christmas trees seemed like good, easy money and 10-15 years ago, the number of seedlings planted skyrocketed. But the market was unbalanced - too many nurseries planted too many seeds - and because seedlings were so plentiful, the price of seedlings tanked, and some producers couldn't find a market for all the seedlings that they had, so they were forced to plow them under. This resulted in an era of scarcity - in which it was difficult to find Fraser Fir seedlings, because none of the nurseries planted any more. Fast forward to today, the result of the years when it was difficult to find seedlings means that the Christmas tree industry, as a whole, is experiencing a shortage of the most popular sizes (5'-9') in the most popular varieties (Fraser Fir, for example).  

My father, determined not to be caught short again, decided to experiment with raising his own seedlings and transplants. He built a few greenhouses and started raising Christmas trees from seeds. All of a sudden, we were surrounded by baby Christmas trees - something new and different for me.

Perhaps it was the mother in me, but I fell in love with those baby trees!  I couldn't believe that something so tiny had the potential to grow so big. For a brief moment in time, I could hold something so gigantic in the palm of my hand.

And while I love Christmas trees - the feel, the smell, the tradition - and the joy that real trees bring to holiday celebrations around the world, I love the idea of sharing something that has roots. Something that will endure for years and years. I also love that by sharing our Little Saps with others, we are helping make the world a greener place. We are helping to ensure a clean future for our children and grandchildren. My family and I recently visited the polar bear exhibit at the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro. The exhibit teaches visitors how to be good stewards of the environment. The first suggestion - plant a tree!

There is something innately inspirational and healing about trees, something awe-inspiring, mysterious, and deeply spiritual.  They symbolize so many things - love, wisdom, hope, perseverance, strength, and courage. 

I thought to myself - if our baby trees could fill me with such love and inspiration, what could they do for others?

I started Little Saps with the idea that our little trees would go out into the world carrying messages of hope, joy, comfort, encouragement, love, and healing. My dream is that these messages touch the hearts of those that receive them and that they absorb all the love, warmth, and good will that is sent their way.

When we believe that others love and care for us, when we believe they are rooting for us, when we believe that they think we can do it - we are able to conquer whatever life throws at us with enthusiasm, courage, and creativity.

Here’s to hoping that whatever life throws at you, you remember these two lessons from our Little Saps - all things grow with love and your roots are strong. You got this!

Cheers,
Carrie