The holiday season is in full swing, and people are heading out to tree lots in droves in search of the perfect yuletide symbol for their homes: the Christmas tree. This year, however, consumers are finding trees in short supply, in part due to weather fluctuations and supply chain issues, but also due to a marked labor shortage in the tree trimming industry. Christmas tree farming is very labor intensive, with many species of trees requiring pruning and shaping for years to result in that perfect Christmas tree shape. Lack of pruning takes a toll on the beauty of prospective trees, and results in some that are simply unmarketable. Some tree farmers are even having difficulty finding competent tree cutters willing to help with this year’s harvest, making getting trees to market even more stressful.