Ag Commissioner Troxler, others to light Christmas tree to signal start of this season’s tree harvest
Event to encourage people to buy real N.C. Christmas trees to help local economy; donation being made for equipment for Tobacco Trust Fund Christmas Tree Seed Center
LAUREL SPRINGS, NC (October 29, 2024) ⇒ Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler and other dignitaries will light a ceremonial Christmas Tree to signal the start of the state’s annual Christmas tree harvest Wednesday at the Upper Mountain Research Station in Laurel Springs.
The event is being held at the Research Station’s Tobacco Trust Fund Christmas Tree Seed Center; a soon-to-be completed facility that will help establish a North Carolina Fraser Fir Christmas tree seedling source for growers.
Beginning at 1:30 p.m., attendees can take a tram ride through the Upper Mountain Research Station and Mistletoe Meadows farm to see Christmas trees. The trams return to the Seed Center at 2:40 p.m. for the start of the program. Joining Commissioner Troxler will be N.C. State University College of Natural Resources Myron Floyd, NCSU College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Dean Garey Fox, N.C. Christmas Tree Association Executive Director Jennifer Greene and representatives from the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund.
With significant damage to Western NC from Hurricane Helene, sales of locally grown Christmas trees will be especially important to the Western NC economy.
The Upper Mountain Research Station is located at 8004 NC Highway 88 E., Laurel Springs. The station’s phone number is 336-982-2501.
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