This year, more than 2,130 congregations across the USA, including Catholics, Episcopalians, Lutherans, Methodists and Presbyterians, will use "eco-palms" that are harvested in a more environmentally friendly way, says Dean Current, program director at the Center for Integrated Natural Resources and Agricultural Management at the University of Minnesota.

The number of churches using eco-palms on Palm Sunday — which, in the Christian faith, marks Jesus' triumphant return to Jerusalem before his death and resurrection — has grown from a pilot program of 5,000 in 2005 to the 600,000 eco-palms ordered for this year's March 16 celebration, Current says. He estimates that is about 1.5% of the 35 million to 40 million palms sold annually for Palm Sunday services in the USA but says he expects the growth to continue.

What makes the eco-palms different is the way that they are harvested, says RaeLynn Jones Loss, a research specialist at the University of Minnesota.

More than 50% of the palms are wasted by traditional methods, Jones Loss says. Harvesters in the eco-palm program are trained to be more selective. They cut only the best fronds, which results in only 5% to 10% waste.

About 25% of the program's proceeds go back to the communities where they were harvested. They pay for such things as scholarships, she says.

"It's a matter of helping support these communities, getting them a fair amount of money for their wares and also using a sustainable resource," says Chris Barnett of Amazing Grace Lutheran Church in Anchorage.

The eco-palms can cost more, depending on the type. A typical order of 200 eco-palms costs $47.50, Jones Loss says, compared with $21 to $23 for traditional palms, according to Catholic Supply of St. Louis.

Martin reports for the Argus Leader in Sioux Falls, S.D.

Enlarge By Andy King for USA TODAY James Sanigular, 18, right, and Danny OffermanIn, 17, pack palms at Hermes Floral in Minneapolis, where eco-palms are distributed to churches throughout the nation.

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