FURLOW, Ark. — You'd be hard-pressed to find anything that hasn't been affected by inflation or shortages these days— that also extends to the holidays this year, too.
If you're looking for a live Christmas tree, there's good and bad news to share. You're more than likely going to be able to find a tree, but it's likely to cost more.
For family-run tree farms like Schilling's Christmas Tree Farm in Furlow, that's an unfortunate piece of their history now.
"We started selling trees in 1985," said Brian Hibbs with Schilling's. "Everything's gone up this year, it's been the first time we've had to raise prices in three or four years."
Inflation is the newest ornament on the tree— and an ugly one at that.
There are lots of reasons why these trees cost more, ranging from the cost of decorations to the price of diesel.
Hibbs gets trees delivered from Boone, North Carolina— and delivering trees almost 600 miles isn't cheap.
"Everything's got so high this year, and we just, we couldn't afford to stay open and keep running the farm without raising the price of the trees," Hibbs explained.
You'll see that raise in price on the tag this year. Hibbs said they normally charge about $10 per foot, but now it's closer to $12-$14 a foot.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I hate that we had to drive up prices, I mean, but across the board, pretty well had to do that."
While those prices may be higher, Hibbs was still hopeful. Though it may not be ideal, he's still ready for the crowds this holiday season.
"You think you're gonna lose the Christmas spirit, and then you get out here and you see all the families come out and then just enjoy the tractor ride and going out in the field," Hibbs said. "This helps bring your spirit back. Hopefully, the prices won't hurt anybody too bad."
Schilling's will open on Friday, November 25 at 9 a.m.