NEWLAND, NC (September 19, 2018) – The White House Staff will select the Blue Room Christmas Tree in North Carolina on Monday, September 24, 2018.
Selection will take place at the farm of the National Christmas Tree Association Grand Champion Christmas Tree grower, Larry Smith, Mountain Top Fraser Fir, Newland, NC.
Larry Smith will present First Lady Melania Trump with a Real Fraser Fir Christmas Tree for display in the White House Blue Room on November 19, 2018.
The selected tree will be harvested Wednesday, November 14, 2018.
Winners of the National Christmas Tree Association national tree contest have presented the White House Christmas Tree since 1966.
About the White House Christmas Tree
Since 1966, members of the National Christmas Tree Association have presented the official White House Christmas Tree for display in the Blue Room. Each year NCTA hosts a national tree contest at which growers, industry experts and consumers vote to select the Real Christmas Tree grower who will provide the official White House Christmas Tree. To qualify for the national contest, growers must first win their state or regional competitions, so being named National Grand Champion is quite an achievement. 2018 marks the 53rd year a member from the National Christmas Tree Association has presented the official White House Christmas Tree.
About Larry Smith, Mountain Top Fraser Fir
Larry Smith of Mountain Top Fraser Fir first realized his passion in life was growing Christmas trees after his high school football coach, Doug Clark began mentoring him in 1975. After graduating in 1977 from Avery County High School, he set 250 Fraser Firs. Larry has continued setting trees every year since then. He furthered his education at Catawba Valley Community College with a degree in turf management. After working at Linville Golf Club and Grandfather Golf and Country Club, all the while tending his trees and growing his business, he became a full time Christmas tree grower in 1982. He has retailed trees, wreaths, and garland in the Lenoir and Hickory, North Carolina areas since 1980.
Larry has three grown sons who grew up on the farm and knows life only on a tree lot from Thanksgiving through Christmas.
After five attempts in the National Tree Contest, Larry said “I feel as though I have finally won the Super Bowl. It’s a great honor to represent the Christmas tree industry by providing the Official White House Christmas Tree in 2018.”
Larry provided the first Christmas Tree to the Vice President after the residence was moved to the Naval Observatory from the Blair House following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Larry is a member of the North Carolina and National Christmas Tree Associations.
Larry grows his trees using environmentally friendly techniques. He is a great steward of the land and water, wanting the next generation to continue with sustainable farming. His only regret is that his father didn’t live long enough for them to enjoy this honor together.
http://www.ncchristmastrees.com/member-directory/951-mountain-top-fraser-fir
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_House_Christmas_tree