Indiana Christmas Tree Growers Give a Bit of Home

Imagine being a soldier stationed in Kuwait during the holidays. While proud to serve your country, there’s still no place like home at Christmas.

And that’s why - for the fourth year in a row - Indiana Christmas Tree Growers are participating in the Trees for Troops Program. Indiana growers rank 11th in the nation for fresh grown Christmas trees, including Scotch Pine, White Pine, Canaan Fir, Fraser Fir and Douglas Fir, as well as many other Spruce and Fir varieties. Our state’s producers will send a total of 80 trees overseas to military bases in Bahrain and Kuwait and  also donate 125 trees to the Great Lakes Naval Station stateside.

The Indiana State Department of Agriculture has participated in years past, and this year the FFA State Officers will also join the growers from across the state on November 30th when trees will be dropped off and processed at Dull’s Farm in Boone County. In April 2010, the Campbell Soup Company, the FFA and local volunteers restored the Dull Family Farm barn as part of the Campbell’s Help Grow Your Soup program.
 
Dull’s was selected due to its proximity to Indianapolis and the Fed Ex station (which donates all the shipping.) The trees will then be delivered to the various bases on the weekend of December 4th.
“What a blessing for these soldiers to see the 7 feet long by 10 inch square box arrive, open it and experience  the aroma of a fresh, real tree!” said Tom Dull, Owner of Dull’s Tree Farm in Boone County. “We give them the aroma of Christmas and a bit of home.”

Indiana Christmas Tree Growers and Fed Ex are donating their services, but there are still other expenses to this program. If you would like to make a donation, go to the Christmas Spirit Foundation,  which is a charitable branch of the National Christmas Tree Association, for more information. The Christmas Spirit Foundation’s mission is to advance the spirit of Christmas year-round for kids, families and the environment.

Oh! And Indiana Christmas Tree Growers want to give back to you, too! Enter below and you could win a $40 gift certificate toward a wreath at any participating Indiana tree farm.
 
Visit www.indianachristmastree.com to find a farm near you!
  
Please leave a separate comment below for each of the following entries:
1. Leave a comment.
2. Follow our blog through Google Friend Connect (see right column)
3. Follow @familyoffarmers on twitter
4. Become a fan of Family of Farmers on Facebook
5. Visit www.indianachristmastree.com and tell us which tree type is your favorite.

The winner we be chosen at random after 9 PM (EDT) on Thursday, December 2, 2010. The winner will be announced on Friday's post.