CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – The pinch of inflation will continue to be felt as we head into the holiday season.

Along with just about everything else, the price of a Christmas tree is up this year but local tree farms are encouraging people not to let that hinder their Christmas spirit.

Those searching for that perfect fir this holiday season, “may be out of luck!” says Nancy Jacques of Springfield. A successful Christmas tree hunt is being challenged by both tree shortages and price increases.

“This is my 37th year running a Christmas tree farm and the past couple of years they have gone up and this year they probably have taken the biggest increase that I’ve seen in a while. That’s due to an overall increase in wholesale prices.” Susan Lopes, Owner of Paul Bunyan’s Farm

A survey from the Real Christmas Tree Board released back in September said that a large majority of wholesale Christmas tree growers cited price increases of 5 to 15 percent. Farms in western Massachusetts have been impacted with tree prices jumping in cost compared to years past.

“I think we paid about $20 more, about 20 dollars more. It was about $85 I think.” Nancy & Robert Jacques of Springfield

Christmas tree suppliers saw their own costs go up this year, which means those price increases were passed on to consumers as well. But those picking up their tree at Paul Bunyan’s in Chicopee didn’t let that hinder their holiday spirit.

Susan predicts that they’ll run out of trees over at Paul Bunyan’s by mid-December, so it’s recommended you get your tree sooner rather than later.