North Carolina family farm to provide White House Christmas tree
Sam Cartner of Cartner’s Christmas Tree Farm in Newland, North Carolina, speaks with Fox News Digital about his family-owned-and-operated farm and how he grew a tree that's to be selected by the White House.
With the holiday season fast approaching, the White House is getting ready to deck the halls.
The annual tradition of selecting the perfect Christmas tree is held through the National Christmas Tree Contest.
This year’s honor was bestowed on Cartner’s Christmas Tree Farm in Newland, North Carolina.
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Cartner’s Christmas Tree Farm is family-owned and operated; it has grown Fraser firs since 1959.
Sam Cartner, owner of Cartner Christmas Tree Farm, told Fox News Digital in an on-camera interview that his farm has competed several times, and that it's honored to be chosen. (See the video at the top of this article.)
Cartner’s Christmas Tree farm in Newland, North Carolina, was selected as the place where the White House Christmas tree will be chosen from this year. (Cartner’s Christmas Tree Farm)
"What we're really excited about is the industry and [about] the Fraser fir being recognized as the top Christmas tree in the nation, and we're excited to promote the industry and get recognized for our green product that's totally recyclable – and [it's] good for the environment and good for families," he said.
Since 1966, members of the National Christmas Tree Association have presented the official White House Christmas Tree for display in the Blue Room.
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Cartner’s Christmas Tree farm will propose six to eight trees to be selected by four White House officials who will be visiting the farm to select the final one.
Sam Cartner said the trees must be about 18-19 feet tall and no wider than 12 feet.
Cartner’s Christmas Tree farm will propose about six to eight trees to be selected by four White House officials who will be visiting the farm to select the final one. (Cartner’s Christmas Tree Farm)
"These are Fraser firs and considered the top Christmas tree species in the nation. Even though it's slow-growing, it pulls its needles long and its color is the green color and has great fragrance. It's indigenous to the western North Carolina counties," he said.
"They're slightly acidic and well-drained, and we get a lot of rainfall and snow and have cold weather."
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The trees being proposed for the White House took roughly 25 years to grow.
The farm is run by brothers David, Jim and Sam, who took over the farm from their father, Sam, who served in World War II.
The White House requires the tree to be about 18-19 feet tall and no wider than 12 feet. (Hum Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
"I think one of the main reasons my dad was a pioneer in this business — he was a cultural extension agent here and promoted Christmas trees [as] a better cash crop here in the mountains where it was hard to grow other crops with such a short growing season," Sam Cartner said.
"And it's become such a successful industry for being the second major income producer in these western counties behind tourism."
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He said the most important part about picking out a Christmas tree is the experience, and he highly recommends going to a farm where people can choose and cut their own tree.
The most important part about picking out a Christmas tree is the experience, he said.
"[Farms] try to make it an experience where the family can enjoy food and drinks and music and photos, storytelling," Sam Cartner said.
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"That's what I would say is go to someone who's trying to make it the family experience. I'm sure the trees will be fresh because that's what they're striving to do. And look for a tree that's [a] deep green color and has soft needles," he added.
Jim Cartner advised families to make sure they know where they are going to put the tree in their house before picking one out.
The farm will have a send-off "harvest" on Nov. 20 for the community with a fundraiser benefiting families in western North Carolina devastated by recent flooding. (Hum Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images; Cartner’s Christmas Tree Farm)
"[People] kind of forget that maybe their ceiling is not as tall as the tree is at the field, and they get home and, you know, they end up having to alter the size," Jim Cartner said.
He added, "[It] is a tradition that we like to see families develop, and I think they'll have a great time picking trees out."
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The farm will have a send-off "harvest" on Nov. 20 with a fundraiser benefiting families in western North Carolina that have been devastated by recent flooding.
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.
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