USDA Vote Retains Real Christmas Tree Checkoff

Growers voted 52% in favor of extending the checkoff program for seven years after a second referendum.

Updated on Nov. 14, 2026 in Organic Food

USDA Vote Retains Real Christmas Tree Checkoff

Live Poll

Should growers be required to pay into a national Christmas tree promotion program?

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that 52% of Christmas tree growers voted to retain the real Christmas tree checkoff for seven years. The referendum was held from October 1 to October 16 after late-arriving ballots from a June referendum could have changed that earlier result.

Why it matters

The checkoff assesses growers and importers 15 cents per tree and raises about $1.5 million a year, funding promotion of real Christmas trees. The narrow margin and the redo of the election show how close the outcome was for an industry divided over the program.

The checkoff assesses growers and importers 15 cents per tree and raises about $1.5 million a year. More than 90% of surveyed wholesale growers do not plan to raise prices, and about 85% consider real tree supply strong or very strong.

The players

U.S. Department of Agriculture

The federal department that conducted the referendum and oversees the Christmas tree checkoff program under congressional mandate.

Real Christmas Tree Board

The industry board that administers the checkoff program and promotes real Christmas trees to consumers.

The details

The USDA ran the October 1 to October 16 referendum to decide whether growers would keep the checkoff, which the Real Christmas Tree Board administers. The program was launched in 2011 amid a "tax on Christmas trees" controversy and ordered by Congress in 2015, and it drew organized farmer opposition in 2018.

2011: Checkoff program launched amid a "tax on Christmas trees" controversy.
2015: Congress ordered USDA to implement the checkoff program.
2018: Initial referendum faced organized farmer opposition, and two elections were held.
June 2026: First referendum concluded with a slight majority voting against continuation.
October 1-16, 2026: Second referendum held, and 52% voted to retain the checkoff.

Legacy Context

The 2026 vote continues a program first contested in 2018, when farmers mounted organized opposition and two elections were required. The narrow 52% margin in this round signals that the checkoff's future has remained closely divided across multiple referendums.

Growers and importers will continue paying 15 cents per tree into the checkoff for the next seven years, and buyers should not expect the program to change retail prices. Consumers choosing between real and artificial trees are seeing a program that surveyed buyers say makes the holiday feel more festive.

The takeaway

The narrow vote shows how a small per-tree assessment can divide an industry even when most surveyed growers expect stable prices and supply. Consumers who value real trees can see the checkoff as a continuing source of promotion funding through 2033.