How Green Can A Christmas Tree Be?

Locally grown, pesticide-free food is gaining sway these days because it is fresh, healthy and supports area farmers. But how many of us give the same kind of thought to the Christmas trees we bring home? Can you decorate your Fraser fir without getting pesticide residue in your lungs and on your skin?

Sure, if the tree is certified organic by the Department of Agriculture. Or if it is a Certified Naturally Grown tree, which meets the same basic requirements: it was raised without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, using sustainable methods like composting and erosion control.

Or if you buy your tree from a local grower, like Mike Ludgate, who manages Ludgate Farms, a natural foods and farm store on the outskirts of Ithaca, N.Y., you can simply ask how the trees were raised.
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