Gene works full time as a park ranger for most of the year, but around Christmas he runs his own business selling Christmas trees. His brother-in-law, Steve, is a Christmas tree grower who grows trees year-round on his land and harvests them in November. Gene buys these trees from Steve and sells them directly to retail outlets. Gene is an example of a(n) ." agent broken supplier wholesaler

Wholesaler

Explanation:

A wholesaler is someone that buys good in large quantities from the manufacturer or producer and sell it to the retailer or consumer. The wholesaler act as a middle man between product's manufacturer and the retailer. Wholesaler sells at a manufacturer's price which is always a fraction of what a retailer will charge on such good.

Gene acts as a wholesaler to his brother in-law steve who grows the tree (as a producer). He is the link man between the producer and the retail outlets

producers: apple trees, potatoes, carrots, grains, acorns, cabbage, grass, corn, lettuce

consumers: deer, mice, rabbits, chickens, squirrels, horses, worms, cows

predators: eagles, frogs, wolves, owls