Contacts:
Kelly Loftus, Agency of Agriculture, (802) 828-3829
Bob White, Whites Tree Farm, (802) 899-4977

Friday, November 28, 2008

Vermont Christmas tree growers from all across the state will be sending some Vermont holiday cheer to U.S. troops and their families again this year. This Christmas season marks the fifth year that Vermont Christmas tree farmers are donating trees for the Trees for Troops program. It is the third year that Trees for Troops has been coordinated nationwide, with thousands of trees donated from farmers across the entire country.

Sponsored by Fed Ex, Christmas Spirit Foundation and the National Christmas Tree associations, trees are made available to military families and troops including families of the Vermont National Guard who are deployed through the Vermont Guards Family readiness program. The Trees for Troops program was nationally recognized this year with the Advance America Summit Award from the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and the Center for Association Leadership.

Each year trees are picked up statewide with help from the Vermont Department of Forest and Parks who provide the trucks and drivers to collect the trees and deliver them to drop off farms. From those farms in Vermont, and many others across the country, Fed Ex picks up the trees and delivers them to families on military bases or anywhere in the world where U.S. troops are deployed.

“For Christmas tree farmers this is our busy season, and like many others in our daily hectic lives it’s easy to forget that there are many problems in the world that place our troops in harms way,” said Bob White, Vermont Christmas tree grower and coordinator of Vermont Trees for Troops. “We feel it is important to let them and their families know, especially during the holiday season, that we are thinking of them and support their efforts.”

Monday, December 1st, trees will be cut and collected at farms across Vermont, and then shipped via Fed Ex on December 2nd to military bases. In previous years, many Vermont trees were sent to families stationed at Fort Drum, New York. Nationally, the 2008 goal is to collect 20,000 trees. These efforts are coordinated through the National Christmas Tree associations and Christmas Spirit Foundation.

“A Vermont Christmas tree is the perfect symbol of tradition and holiday spirit. We hope these trees will provide some comfort and joy to our military personnel and their families who might not be able to be together this holiday season,” said Roger Allbee, Secretary of the Agency of Agriculture. “As someone who served in the military, I know the importance first hand of having a reminder of home, especially around the holidays.”

Vermont boasts about 250 tree farms statewide, with thousands of acres in active production. All told, yearly sales total over 10 million dollars. Christmas tree farming is also one of the most sustainable forms of agriculture leaving little if any carbon footprint.

If you would like to make a donation to the Trees for Troops program, call Red Rock Farm in Chelsea, Vermont at 802-685-4343 or Whites Tree Farm in Essex, Vermont 802-899-4977. For additional information about other ways to be involved, contact Bob White at 802-522-9236.