White House Christmas tree coming from WNC

For the 10th time in 41 years, the White House Christmas tree will hail from North Carolina.

This year Ashe County growers Joe and Linda Freeman will have the honor of presenting First Lady Laura Bush with a Fraser fir from their farm the week after Thanksgiving, according to the N.C. Christmas Tree Association. The Freemans garnered the honor by winning the Grand Champion title at the National Christmas Tree contest held in Portland Oregon in 2006. To be eligible, Joe Freeman first won the N.C. Christmas Tree Association state contest.

Joe Freeman currently grows Fraser fir Christmas Trees at Mistletoe Meadows, his 130-acre farm in Laurel Springs. He has about 100,000 trees planted.

White House staffers hand-pick the tree they want, and it will be cut in late November and transported to Washington D.C. White house staffers will decorate the tree.

Here’s a list of previous growers who’ve landed a Christmas tree in the White House:

1971 Kermit Johnson Avery County

1973 Homer & Bruner Sides Alleghany County

1982 Hal & Sarah Johnson Ashe County

1984 Hal & Sarah Johnson Ashe County

1990 R. Bruce & Michael Lacey Avery County

1993 Wayne Ayers Mitchell County

1995 Ron Hudler & Danny Dollar Ashe County

1997 Sanford Fishel Ashe County

2005 Earl, Betsy, & Buddy Deal Alleghany County

2007 Joe Freeman Ashe County