Wisconsin Christmas Tree Adorns White House

First Lady Michelle Obama and her nephews with Dave and Mary Vander Velden at the White House

First Lady Michelle Obama and her nephews with Dave and Mary Vander Velden at the White House

While close to 350 million Christmas trees are growing on farms throughout the country, a Christmas tree from Wisconsin made its way to the White House Friday where it was presented to First Lady Michelle Obama. The 19-foot Balsam-Veitch fir was presented by Dave and Mary Vander Velden, owners of Whispering Pines Tree Farm in Oconto, Wisconsin.

The Vander Veldens won the National Christmas Tree Association’s annual contest this year, when a group of White House officials visited Whispering Pines and selected their tree as the contest’s top contender.

Dave tells us more about this tree and the Christmas tree farming business in this interview:
Interview with Dave Vander Velden, Whispering Pines