So, it’s nearly Christmas. And, whether that matters to you or not, it’s a time of year that creates some very unique forms of trade.
One being the harvesting of Christmas trees.
In the U.S., Oregon produces the largest number of trees. They are sold domestically and, even exported. In 2011, the state of Oregon produced around 7.3 million Christmas trees.
Growing trees takes time but, what about the annual harvest? This is when experts are called in with, what can only be described, as epic skills.
Helicopter harvesting of Christmas trees began in the 1980s when, on one farm in Oregon, the plantation was inaccessible by other vehicle. Suddenly, it was realised that the time from farm to market could be cut from several weeks down to three days, if harvest was done by helicopter.
So, it was the solution to a simple problem that changed an almost 100 year old practice of harvesting.
Watch this video as helicopter pilot Dan Clark makes his daily job look like a video game. This is a real helicopter, flown by Clark, harvesting Christmas trees. In the fog, no less. Clark has become an expert in Christmas Tree harvesting.
Sometimes, there are tasks that only a real expert can do efficiently. And, that’s something for every startup and entrepreneur to remember.
Oregon Christmas tree harvest by helicopter
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