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Walking through a field in the cold in search of the perfect Christmas tree is a tradition for many families.

But this holiday season, many businesses in Lincoln, along with the rest of the nation, are facing a tree shortage.

Kent Prior started selling trees at Prior Pines in northeast Lincoln in 1996. Saturday, families trickled in and out of the fields, looking at trees and grabbing cups of hot chocolate.

This is only the second weekend the farm has been open this season, but after receiving only about half of the precut trees Prior expected, he said it might be the last.

“Normally, we’ll go for at least three weekends, three weeks, before we sell out,� he said. “Today may be the last day.�

The farm gets its precut Fraser fir trees from Wisconsin, while Prior grows his own white and scotch pines. The Fraser firs are the first to go every season, but this year, with fewer firs than usual, the precuts lasted only one weekend.

“We have our own (trees); if we didn’t have that this year, it would be difficult,� Prior said. “And because of my shortage on the Fraser firs, I’ve actually cut into next year’s trees, so it’s going to impact me next year on my field trees.�

For Jason Steele, owner and operator of Picnic Hill Pines east of Lincoln, there wasn’t a field of pines to fall back on when faced with a shortage of precut trees. In fact, Steele said he was unable to get any trees because of bad weather at the farm in Wisconsin where he gets his precut Fraser firs.

Picnic Hill Pines, which opened two years ago, operates solely online, with customers selecting trees that are delivered right to their home. The goal of the business is to provide a convenient seasonal service, Steele said, but this year he couldn’t open at all.

Steele attributed some of the shortage to the Great Recession, when he said many farms stopped planting Christmas trees.

“Because Christmas trees take so many years to grow before they’re harvested and shipped out, that decrease in farms or planting is now really hitting the market,� Steele said. “I think there’s also been a bit of an uptick in demand for live Christmas trees.�

Those factors, along with extreme weather and supply chain disruptions, have reduced supplies of both real and artificial trees, industry officials told the Associated Press. Shoppers should expect to have fewer choices and pay up to 30% more for both types this Christmas.

Record-breaking heat and wildfires in late June took a heavy toll on Christmas tree farms in Oregon and Washington, two of the nation’s largest growers.

A shortage of truck drivers is also making it harder and more expensive to transport live trees from farms to stores and tree lots.

Pinecrest Tree Farm, located in Blue Springs, is another local tree seller facing a shortage this season. Owner Craig Trump said he usually gets about 300 trees from Michigan, but this year was only able to get about 225.

That meant Trump had to cut some of his own trees early. He's had a busy holiday season, and even with dipping into some extra field trees, Trump said he doesn't anticipate that to affect business much next year.

Trees aren’t the only shortage facing holiday retailers this season, though. Pinecrest also sells wreaths, ornaments, decor and other holiday items, and this season has received only half of the expected inventory, Trump said.

“There’s a big shortage of trees, but everyone else is facing a big shortage of everything, it seems like,� he said.

While it was weather problems that affected the shipment of trees for Steele at Picnic Hill Pines, he said the overall lack of trees in the market made it impossible to find a second supplier. Even if he had, he said it’s hard to find affordable shipping.

Steele also owns Picnic Hill Orchards, which opened earlier this year, and he’s hopeful that next holiday season will turn out differently for his tree business.

“Hopefully we’ll have trees next year,� he said. “(Selling online) is kind of a different concept … there are people that like to go cut down a tree, and that’s great, but there’s a lot of people that want a great tree and really like the convenience.�

Though Prior Pines’ selling season will be cut short this year, Prior said business has been good and that the farm will make it through the setback.

“It’s gonna be a good year,� he said. “I’m going to sell fewer trees, but it’ll be a good year.�