By Tree drove from Florida in his van and met up with Yaya in North Carolina. They continued on to NYC to pick up their gig selling Christmas trees and wreaths on the Upper West Side.
The two vendors, employees of Evergreen, a large Brooklyn-based distributor, have a choice spot by the First Baptist Church on the northwest corner of 79th Street and Broadway. The trees from farms in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Canada are delivered in the middle of the night because as Yaya explains, the trucks are so huge they could not be easily navigated through Manhattan traffic during usual business hours. “We sell 24/7 between Thanksgiving and Christmas. On Christmas we break down the stands,” says Yaya.
On a bright cold day early in December customers were coming by with very specific requests. “Do you have a 10.5’ Fraser?” One man asked. Yaya said he only had a Cook Fir that tall. The man said he was going to the gym and would return later.” Another man, a retired architect, wasn’t into searching around. He asked for an undecorated wreath and purposely carried it away. A woman asked for a few spare evergreen branches. Yaya said his practice is to offer one for free and a bunch for $5 or $10.
Tall trees range in price from $400-$800. Smaller trees sell for $50-$100. Once a tree has been purchased, it’s placed into the baler. Yaya gives it a fresh cut so that it will best absorb water. He then pulls netting over the whole tree for easy transportation to the customer’s home. The tallest trees are often purchased by superintendents for apartment building lobbies and penthouses. All our trees are long-lasting as long as they are fresh-cut,” he says.
When Christmas is done, Yaya expects he’ll find work through Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF). He explains the organization manages work-housing swaps. Education is also part of the mission. So participants learn the essentials of certain kinds of organic farming, animal husbandry, horses, and trees. Tree, who also has worked with WWOOF enjoys the educational part. He knows his evergreens and the differences between them. Tree says that the sap and bark of fir trees have been traditionally used in many cultures for medicinal purposes to treat problems of the lungs and stomach and other ailments. He loves being around the trees and handling them surrounded by the wonderful smell he finds restorative.