The Real Christmas Tree Board is a national research and promotion program sharing the benefits of fresh Christmas trees with consumers through promotion and public relations, while engaging in research to better serve customers and growers.
The Work
RCTB partnered with us to host a pair of LIVE Virtual Farm Trips® for elementary students to learn about the life cycle and benefits of real Christmas trees, share how they are shaped, harvested (including by helicopter on an Oregon farm) and transported to become centerpieces of annual holiday traditions.
The Wins
An astounding total of 1,579 teachers registered 2,097 classrooms representing 40,486 students for RCTB’s two VFTs
Registrants originated from 44 states, 2 provinces in Canada and U.S. Outlying Islands
According to evaluation results:
92.4% of registrants indicated the VFTs connected with their curriculum
Teachers rated their VFT experience a 9.18 out of 10 on average, with 10 being “Fantastic! Do it again!”
The (Pine) Needle Moved!
Teachers who felt “Very positive” or “Positive” about real Christmas trees increased from 86.0% before to 98.1% after (+12.1%)
Teachers who “Strongly agree” or “Agree” that they felt knowledgeable about real Christmas tree farming increased from 33.9% before to 87.1% after (+54.8%)
Teachers who “Strongly agree” or “Agree” they trust real Christmas tree farmers are taking great care of our environment increased from 85.8% to 93.2% as a result of attending a VFT (+7.4%)
Quotes from teachers:
“The trip was so factual, giving a step-by-step experience of what each phase looks like in harvesting a Christmas Tree. The kids really enjoyed the helicopter…such a unique way to move trees.”
“I liked how organized it was, the videos used, and the farmer shearing and talking about the process.”
“Our questions in the chat were answered live and quickly. It made us feel special!”
“Loved seeing the entire process from seed to harvest!”
“Very engaging. The kids were fascinated. Very well done.”
“I like how they talked about the wildlife and ways that they are helping the environment.”
