Volunteer Helps Grow Christmas Tree Industry
Strategically situated at the crossroads where Europe meets Asia, Georgia has a unique cultural history, famous traditions of hospitality and cuisine and an alphabet which is entirely its own. Georgia was once also considered the fruitbasket of the former Soviet Union, and has long been recognized for its excellent wine (they claim they invented it!).
Less commonly known is the impact the Caucasus region, and Georgia in particular, has had on the world’s Christmas tree industry. Georgia is home to the Nordmann fir, a stately conifer with beautiful foliage, which in recent decades has become the leading Christmas tree species grown in Europe.
Georgian seed companies have supplied European nurseries with seed for many years. However, as Nordmann fir seed orchards in western Europe eventually matured, the demand for seed harvested in the mountains of Georgia declined, and seed companies saw the need to expand into new markets. Concurrently, the U.S. Christmas tree industry had a history of reliance upon only a handful of native species and realized the need to diversify, in an effort to reduce pest problems and offer consumers something new.
Early experiences with Nordmann fir by eastern U.S. Christmas tree growers however were disappointing; the trees often suffered damage in the cold winters and growth was much slower than traditional species. Consistent and verifiable new sources of Nordmann fir seed with acceptable cold hardiness were needed if this exotic species was ever to gain a foothold in the U.S. market. In 2008, Dr. Rick Bates (pictured at left), a Penn State University horticulturist who works with the Christmas tree industry, made his second trip to Georgia at the request of the Tbilisi-based seed company Goni, Ltd. The goal of this Farmer-to-Farmer (FtF) assignment was to help Goni, Ltd., lay the groundwork necessary to expand into the U.S.
“Three things needed to happen for this relationship to take off and become fruitful,” explained Bates. “First it was necessary to close the knowledge gap—Goni needed to understand differences between U.S. and European markets, and the specific constraints peculiar to Christmas tree production areas in the eastern U.S. Goni would also benefit from a linkage with a U.S. seed processor connected to our nursery industry. And finally, we hoped to establish a coordinated system to evaluate, under eastern U.S. growing conditions, the new Nordmann fir seed sources being collected and developed in Georgia by Goni.”
Significant progress has been achieved on all three fronts. As a result of the FtF project, Goni established a business agreement with a U.S. conifer seed processing company. Nordmann fir seed collected from several new locations within Georgia, and better adapted to the eastern U.S., has already made its way to U.S. nurseries. The resulting seedlings will eventually be distributed to Christmas tree farms for further field testing.
During the assignment, Bates provided training on developing stable seed supplies and systems of delivery, product distribution and marketing, and conducted workshops related to Christmas tree production and market dynamics in the U.S. In addition, Kakha Karchkhadze, General Manager of Goni, Ltd. visited New York and Pennsylvania Christmas tree farms and nurseries and witnessed firsthand how seed from his company moves through the U.S. value chain.
Bates also had the opportunity to visit several cone collection sites in Georgia’s Minor Caucasus mountain range. This ecologically rich region has been underutilized as a source for potentially profitable Nordmann fir seed and is central to plans developed by Goni and Penn State University for future collection and evaluation projects.
Perhaps even more significant than the immediate gains realized by Goni, Ltd., is the potential for the long term revitalization of Georgia’s tree seed industry as well as new start-up businesses that may result from the FtF program. Recently, Tbilisi’s Chavchavadze State University in cooperation with Goni, designated a large parcel of land for Christmas tree research and to explore the potential for development of a Nordmann fir Christmas tree industry in Georgia. Production of Nordmann fir seedlings and cut trees would be a natural complement to the existing seed industry, and would provide valuable employment opportunities for local communities.
Kakha Karchkhadze sees a bright future for Nordmann fir. He summed up the relationship forged by FtF saying, “It is a classic win-win scenario. The U.S. will gain access to reliable sources of seed adapted to their specific production areas, and Goni, Ltd., has the chance to grow as Nordmann fir becomes popular in the U.S.”
Written by FtF Volunteer Dr. Rick Bates
To learn more about ACDI/VOCA's Georgia FtF program, click here.