Minnesota farms to harvest 500,000 Christmas trees

St. Paul, Minn. (AP) — The scent of a freshly cut Christmas tree is one of those signature holiday memories.

Minnesota's Christmas tree growers have an abundance of real trees available. The state has just over 500 tree farmers who expect to harvest about 500,000 trees this season.

They'll be sold at "choose-and-cut" tree farms and retail lots. Many tree farms also will offer visits with Santa, wagon rides, walks through forests and specialty wreaths.

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture says 1 acre of Christmas trees produces enough oxygen per day for about 18 people. Real trees also are biodegradable.

For every Christmas tree harvested in the fall, farmers plant on average two or three seedlings the following spring.