Christmas tree prices rise amid post-recession scarcity

ASHEVILLE, N.C. - Nearly a decade after the recession began, Christmas tree aficionados are feeling the pinch.News outlets report a nationwide Christmas tree shortage is the result of farmers planting fewer trees when demand plummeted in 2008, or going out of business altogether. North Carolina is the nation's second-largest Christmas tree exporter, after Oregon, producing more than 20 percent of the country's supply.North Carolina Christmas Tree Association Executive Director Jennifer Greene s