Confession: I have never gone shopping for a live Christmas tree. My parents switched to artificial trees somewhere after deducing that three kids, three dogs and a live tree might pose a fire risk. They liked the minimal cleanup. So artificial it was — and I didn’t realize until high school that I was missing out on the annual tree farm expeditions my friends’ families were making. Families like mine have probably helped shape the last few decades of change that tree farmers face, but climate change and an aging farmer population has accelerated everything, Fast Company reports: As of 2017, nearly half of the 15,000 Christmas tree farms across the US grossed less than $25,000 annually. It seems as if observers are still optimistic for innovation in this niche industry, however, so I still have a chance to make the tree farm journey after all.