{"id":18018,"date":"2024-11-21T00:11:41","date_gmt":"2024-11-21T00:11:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gpt.m2mbeta.com\/?p=18018"},"modified":"2024-11-21T00:11:41","modified_gmt":"2024-11-21T00:11:41","slug":"newland-christmas-tree-selected-as-national-winner-to-be-displayed-in-white-house","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gpt.m2mbeta.com\/?p=18018","title":{"rendered":"Newland Christmas tree selected as national winner to be displayed in White House"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A layer of fog fell on <\/span>Cartner\u2019s Christmas Tree Farm<\/span><\/a> as a group congregated around a decades-old Fraser Fir on Wednesday, with a slight chill to the morning air.<\/span><\/p>\n

The tree, nicknamed Tremendous, stood around 21 feet tall, reaching 12 feet wide at its base, making it taller than most surrounding it. Its rich-green needles cascaded down the tree, forming the fir into a cone shape, its woody-pine aroma lingering around it.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Onlookers watch as the tree of choice is lifted by crane from its spot on Cartner\u2019s Christmas Tree Farm to be wrapped for shipping on Nov. 20. (Noah Williford<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Cartner family and staff gathered around the tree and held a prayer before it was carefully cut down, a crane holding the tree upright before it was wrapped and loaded onto a trailer.<\/span><\/p>\n

The family-owned tree farm, located in Newland, was chosen as the winner of the <\/span>2024 White House Christmas Tree competition<\/span><\/a>, beating out competitors from across the nation. Upon being crowned the winner, representatives from the White House traveled to the farm in October to select a tree to be displayed in the <\/span>Blue Room<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Larry Smith with Mountain Top Fraser Fir was in attendance and said the competition is \u201clike the Miss America pageant\u201d for trees. Many farms enter the competition where they are judged by other growers, industry experts and consumers. He said the contestants must go through local and state rounds of competition before ultimately being selected as the national winner.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ronnie Beam is the farm manager for Cartner\u2019s Christmas Tree Farm and has worked for the family business for over 40 years.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI just love nature, I love seeing things grow, I love seeing the outdoors,\u201d Beam said. \u201cI\u2019m a farmer.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He said the farm won the state competition in the past, but this is their first time coming out on top at nationals. He said he was \u201cstunned\u201d to hear the news.<\/p>\n