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PORTLAND, Ore. -- The Holiday season comes early for Oregon's Christmas tree farmers. For them it started a couple of weeks ago sending shipments to Hawaii and other parts of the world.

After a couple of years of ho-ho-hum sales,growers are seeing a turn around, and that's what they want consumers to do. Forget fake and go real this year. 

"This is like combat.That is to say the helicopters are flying, the equipment is moving. The trucks are getting in place," said Ken Cook, president of McKenzie Farms in Welches. 

It's busier than Santa's workshop for Oregon's tree growers, the country's  number one producer of Christmas trees. 

"We're probably about three or four days ahead of schedule in terms of our shipping," said Cook.

McKenzie Farms in Welches, Oregon covers 2,300 acres. It's the third largest Christmas tree farm in Oregon. This year the farm will ship more than 600,000  trees. It's just a portion of the overall 6 million trees that will celebrate the season from Oregon.

It's a renewable crop that generates some $120 million to the Oregon's economy. 

"The demand is slightly up over last year and it looks like the retail prices for the consumer will be about the same," noted Cook. 

Sales of smaller trees, under five feet are up. But larger tree sales are down. McKenzie said it's a sign of the economy and supply that's taken a toll on growers over the past two years. 

"But we're working through that glut and that will end in another year or two and prices will be coming back up," said Cook. 

Now after years of talk, the USDA and the National Christmas Tree Associating are pushing growers to support a yearly nationwide ad campaign to market natural over artificial. It's a cost each grower would foot, about 15 cents for each tree shipped. It's meeting with mix reaction.

Cook said it won't happen unless all growers are on board. 

Meanwhile individual growers are marketing the green aspect of going real. 

Cook said, "The artificial tree, the consumer now understands that tree has lead, has plastic has a lot of things that aren't good for the environment."

Expect Christmas tree lots to spout the day after Thanksgiving...And by the way.This is the 500th anniversary of fresh cut Christmas trees, it started in 1510.