2008 PRESS RELEASES
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November 25, 2008
HAVE A MERRY VIRGINIA GROWN CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR
By Todd P. Haymore, Commissioner, Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Contact: Elaine Lidholm, 804.786.7686
Left to right, Robert S. Bloxom, Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry; Sue Bostic, Grand Champion winner, 2008 Christmas tree, Virginia Christmas Tree Growers Association; Jenna Bostic, Sue's daughter; First Lady Anne Holton; Sharon Rhoades, Grand Champion winner, 2008 wreaths, VCTGA; Todd P. Haymore, Commissioner, Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
The holiday season is now in full swing, and for the Haymores, that means a trip to a Virginia Christmas tree farm to find our perfect tree. This cherished annual tradition is about much more than getting a tree. It’s about family togetherness, a day in the fresh air and the wonderful experience of spending time on a farm.
We’re fortunate because we can spend a day on a farm any time we like just by driving a couple of hours south to my parents’ place. But for most Virginians, the only time they enjoy a taste of farm life is at their annual pumpkin picking or Christmas tree cutting. Many people have learned just how much fun it can be to cut or choose their tree right at the farm, which is part of the reason this segment of agriculture is thriving.
In our family, we don’t cut our own tree just for fun, however. We chose a real Virginia Grown tree because freshly cut trees retain their needles longer and are less flammable than out-of-state trees that may be cut as much as a month or more in advance. With very active twin four-year-olds and a two-year-old, safety is always paramount at our house.
Buying a Virginia tree helps support our state’s largest industry, agriculture. In Virginia, Christmas tree farming is a major agricultural industry with thousands of trees harvested and sold annually by hundreds of farms throughout the state. This year we’re going to return to one of our favorite farms. Those of you who haven’t cut your own tree yet or who are looking for a new place to do so, I suggest starting your search the annual Christmas Tree Guide produced by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. It lists farms in every area of the state and also tells what else is available: hay rides, barrel trains, Santa land, wreaths and garland made on site, hot cider and candy canes or a Christmas gift shop. Some farms even have Living Nativities with sheep, goats and donkeys scattered among costumed characters.
After we have selected and decorated our Christmas tree, we get down to the serious business of shopping. My wife Margaret and I give Virginia’s Finest gifts to many of our adult friends and colleagues. First of all, we think it makes a statement that we care enough to give the very best of the best from Virginia. And secondly, buying Virginia products supports our local industries and keeps dollars in the state.
We choose a lot of food gifts – Virginia ham and peanuts are always popular, as are Virginia wines. But with such variety – everything literally from soup to nuts – we love to order gift baskets brimming with Virginia’s Finest products. Sometimes we pick a theme, like a snack pack to accompany a Bowl game, but more often, we just load it up with every imaginable goodie we think will appeal to specific people. Click here to start your shopping or look in your supermarket or specialty store for the Virginia’s Finest section.
Another highlight of our Christmas season is to enjoy the public trees on the grounds of our state’s capitol. This year, the Executive Mansion will feature a 13-foot Fraser fir from Joe’s Trees in Craig County. The doors will be adorned with wreaths from Mountain View Farm in Edinburg. The farmer who supplied the tree, Sue Bostic, earned the right to do so by being chosen Christmas tree Grand Champion at the 2008 Virginia Christmas Tree Growers Association’s (VCTGA) meeting. In addition, the Virginia title gave her the opportunity to provide the state’s submission in the National Christmas Tree Association’s competition where her Fraser entry placed second in the fir category.
Sharon Rhoades of Mountain View Farm in Edinburg, Virginia was named Grand Champion for her wreaths which she describes as “quite simple, more traditional.” For the Mansion wreaths, Rhoades used a combination of Turkish fir, Murray cypress, white pine, Scotch pine and arborvitae.
At the Capitol, a 22' Colorado blue spruce from Christmas tree farmer David Huffman of Roanoke will grace the newly refurbished South Portico. The tree lights up on December 5 as part of the Grand Illumination in Richmond and will brighten the night sky until New Year’s.
The tradition of the Christmas tree is a long and venerable one and I hope you will join me by making a fresh-cut or live Virginia Christmas tree the centerpiece of your holiday decorations. As the calendar turns to December and I write my last column of 2008, I want to take this opportunity to wish you and your family all the best during the upcoming holiday season. Indeed, may all the joy and blessings of this special time of the year be extended to you and yours.