tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88590445418402603492012-01-03T06:51:23.520-08:00RealTreeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055016837494652530noreply@blogger.comBlogger1221100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-55957780869498698702011-12-20T16:04:00.001-08:002011-12-20T16:10:39.870-08:00

So you often read comments here or on the NCTA site saying something like "you either have a real tree grown on a farm or a plastic decoration made in a factory" ...something like that.Factory vs farm.Pretty clear choice really.So this article came out describing a factory in Thailand that makes plastic tree decorations out of raw materials made in China and even it's having a hard time competing

Rick Dungeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07747710915134776525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-10174575506687017972011-12-17T08:21:00.000-08:002011-12-17T08:50:00.431-08:00

Quick post...Someone sent this link to us. It has some awesome old photos of shop fronts during Christmas time and old family photos with Christmas trees during the 20s. Check it out: http://www.papatedsplace.com/Christmas1920s.htmlI found this awesome commentary article by Brad Stanhope. The comments are particularly amusing.http://bit.ly/skfTfBAirports can be...well, to be honest, somewhat drab

Rick Dungeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07747710915134776525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-38386395738041197322011-12-14T09:26:00.000-08:002011-12-15T12:44:54.490-08:00

This is the funniest thing I’ve read all year: "'People just aren't expecting Santa Claus on a bike, to show up with a boombox playing Christmas tunes, with a Christmas tree on the back and a pulled-pork sandwich in his hand,' said Toraldo.”Well, um…no I guess they wouldn’t expect that. Check out this article about a guy who delivers a Christmas tree and a pulled pork sandwich on a bicycle. I

Rick Dungeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07747710915134776525noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-39581719763469521902011-12-08T07:58:00.000-08:002011-12-08T08:17:14.961-08:00

I got a great email from Alison this week, providing some feedback about our web site and the way we provide information about Christmas Trees. Here's our interaction:Hi Alison. Interesting points, thanks for writing in… but missing key facts /considerations. Elaborations below in blue to specific points….From: AlisonSent: Tuesday, December 06, 2011 9:50 PMTo: infoSubject: HiJust was looking

Rick Dungeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07747710915134776525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-12511270652870623432011-12-04T13:03:00.000-08:002011-12-05T07:17:46.296-08:00

ha....thought this was funny. If you get a fake tree out of storage, check for snakes when you set it up. http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/12/03/1687693/hiss-the-season-to-be-jolly.html Funny (and disturbing) question: From: Martha Sent: Monday, December 05, 2011 7:19 AM Subject: Very Strange Tree Question Hi Rick~ I have been searching all over the internet this morning about something the

Rick Dungeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07747710915134776525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-16178034655440423842011-11-30T16:03:00.000-08:002011-12-01T07:56:15.057-08:00

Oh goodness ... some people get all worked up over the slightest things. Someone with Fox News called me today and said she was doing a story on the "controversy about what to call a Christmas Tree." Apparently there's a big hub-bub in Rhode Island (and a few other states) about this.I recalled that several years back we asked something about that on our annual consumer poll to gauge just how

Rick Dungeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07747710915134776525noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-39476901411909885352011-11-18T15:27:00.000-08:002011-11-18T15:59:58.540-08:00

Actual email from this week:From: DanielSent: November 13, 2011 7:41 AMSubject: FeeJust watching the news where they say there would be NO fee for a Christmas tree at least for this year. I do think it is a religious discrimination.Will there be a fee for raising goats or sheep that is used in the Islam religion?Will there be a fee on the turkeys that are raised for Thanksgiving?Sincerely,

RealTreeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055016837494652530noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-62455342235029734272011-11-10T07:16:00.000-08:002011-11-10T07:21:42.208-08:00

A Guest Post from a Tree Farmer: My husband and I have been in the Christmas Tree business since 1971, and I just wanted to take a moment to respond to some of the recent questions about the Christmas Tree checkoff. We are a small Christmas tree farm in the foothills of the Oregon Coast Range. We are primarily wholesalers, but have been retailers and now also have a small Choose & Cut

RealTreeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055016837494652530noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-79921725904627037622011-11-09T16:45:00.000-08:002011-11-10T07:03:16.330-08:00

The NCTA office has been busy this morning – even busier than usual this time of the year. In case you missed it (and at least according to Twitter, almost no one has), several news media reported that Obama had donned a Grinch outfit and swept in to ruin Christmas for everyone by instituting a Christmas Tree tax.Raise your hand if you heard this story and worried about the effect it would have

Rick Dungeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07747710915134776525noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-41707169040775161322011-10-05T13:55:00.000-07:002011-10-05T13:55:20.926-07:00

Question: What could possibly make a fake tree look worse than it already does? Answer: Decorating it in a Coors Light theme. I thought this email inquiry was funny: From: Lindsey Lewis Sent: Wednesday, October 05, 2011 11:30 AM Subject: Link Placement To Whom It May Concern: I was wondering if I could place a link on your page to mine, www._______.com. We sell artificial Christmas trees

Rick Dungeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07747710915134776525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-11633260463451972802011-03-17T12:32:00.000-07:002011-03-17T13:14:53.017-07:00

Many people only see a Christmas tree farm (or for that matter even think about one) during the holiday season when they are buying a tree. Well, that's harvest season. And right now, it's planting season. You might have heard or read somewhere that an estimated 40 million new conifers are planted each year on Christmas tree farms in North America. Well that process starts as early as January in

Rick Dungeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07747710915134776525noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-36490223353360517752011-01-20T15:02:00.000-08:002011-01-20T15:09:12.645-08:00

We received an email recently from someone at the Environmental Defense Fund containing links to a 3 part series of online articles outlining how they use post-harvest, farm-grown Christmas trees to restore and preserve coastal wetlands in Louisiana and Alabama.They are very good, so we wanted to share them.Our three most recent posts have discussed the ways that real and artificial Christmas

Rick Dungeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07747710915134776525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-46237314076504907532011-01-04T12:58:00.001-08:002011-01-04T13:13:21.964-08:00

We received this great email just before Christmas vacation:From: J.N.Sent: Wednesday, December 22, 2010 3:20 PMTo: info@realchristmastrees.orgSubject: Re: Fake Trees...I read the christmas tree debate on your website and was mortified about what I learned regarding fake trees!!! Since a kid, my family ALWAYS bought fake trees...after the holiday, we'd store it in it's box and re-use it the

Rick Dungeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07747710915134776525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-3398123135562150162010-12-22T09:26:00.000-08:002010-12-22T09:27:36.897-08:00

we show these every year ...now the fire safety officials are finally weighing in toohttp://bit.ly/dO9fMW

Rick Dungeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07747710915134776525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-8677829335649146202010-12-21T15:03:00.000-08:002010-12-21T15:26:39.306-08:00

Final Numbers from the 2010 Trees for Troops program sponsored by the Christmas SPIRIT Foundation and FedEx:11,627 - fresh trees donated by American farms5,397 - fresh trees donated by other Americans200 - fresh trees dontated by the Walter Reed Hometown Hero's program_____17,224 - total trees delivered for free to U.S. military families16, 651 - total trees delivered in 20100 (zero) - total

Rick Dungeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07747710915134776525noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-71982214915648576162010-12-16T15:01:00.000-08:002010-12-16T15:22:58.452-08:00

Check out the great segment on Christmas tree farming from the History Channel’s special on Christmas. Click HERE.Last week, THIS ARTICLE caught our attention. Apparently an open tractor trailer had an accident and the trees spilled out onto the road. First, I certainly hope the driver is OK. Second, I feel bad for anyone stuck in that traffic. But it also made me think – this was December 10.

Rick Dungeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07747710915134776525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-23796437918532319892010-12-10T13:40:00.000-08:002010-12-10T14:07:39.091-08:00

First, a good story...by now, I'm sure you've heard of the Trees for Troops program sponsored by the Christmas SPIRIT Foundation and FedEx. Check out some of the feedback from that:Thank you and the Christmas Spirit Foundation for all that you do for Fort Drum. This year's event was a hit and so many Families were excited about receiving a Christmas tree. Below is a link to our local media

Rick Dungeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07747710915134776525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-68215536449905496882010-12-08T15:21:00.000-08:002010-12-08T15:40:59.833-08:00

This past weekend I finally had time to put up and decorate my tree. I put it inside in it's stand on Friday night and then decorated the thing on Sunday while watching football. So let's review the timeline: I ordered it online from The Rocks Tree Farm in New Hampshire back in November (can't remember the day); they cut it down and boxed it up and shipped it on November 22. It arrived at my

Rick Dungeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07747710915134776525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-12290799557294400542010-12-02T14:23:00.000-08:002010-12-02T15:29:41.502-08:00

One common question we often get is what to do with a tree you've got home but are not setting up right away. Partly it depends on where you live...advice for someone in say, south Texas would be different than for someone in say, Duluth, Minnesota. But in general, it's a good idea to go ahead and make a fresh cut off the trunk if it hasn't had one in the last 3-6 hours. Then just set the tree

Rick Dungeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07747710915134776525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-9195888540777044822010-11-30T16:19:00.000-08:002010-11-30T16:47:58.401-08:00

Lots of people went out this past weekend to get their special tree for this year and begin decorating. It's such a great tradition! From the un-scientific poll we conducted with about 75 retail locations, it seems tree sales were brisk, at least at choose and cut farms. You can see some of the quotes here.Hey! My tree got here yesterday! Woohoo! So here's what it looked like just last week at

Rick Dungeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07747710915134776525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-27827989037477410592010-11-27T06:01:00.000-08:002010-11-27T06:12:18.950-08:00

A beautiful Douglas-fir will be the Official White House Christmas Tree this year and will be displayed in the Blue Room throughout the holiday season. The tree was officially presented to the First Lady Michelle Obama in a ceremony at the North Portico on Friday.The tree was grown and presented by Christmas Tree farmer Christopher Botek of Crystal Springs Tree Farm II of Lehighton, Pa. Botek

LuvChristmashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03207532875808391191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-88824659768036022142010-11-23T16:26:00.000-08:002010-11-24T07:19:45.766-08:00

And away we go...let the hectic-ness begin in earnest!First, a word about this blog entry title. I did a long interview today with Beth Wilson, host of an internet blog radio show called Enlisted Spouse Radio. We talked about trees, and talked about the Trees for Troops program obviously, and even talked about indoor gardening for a while. She told me she grew tomatoes inside her home, which I

Rick Dungeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07747710915134776525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-71238920237270709772010-11-17T14:45:00.000-08:002010-11-17T15:28:24.460-08:00

This year marks the 500th anniversary of the first decorated Christmas Tree, recorded in 1510 in Riga, Latvia. A special 500th Anniversary section has been added to the NCTA web site, click on it to check out what’s available. Have you watched the promotion video done by the Riga tourism folks? You really should, it's impressive. You can watch it here.I heard there was a commercial on the Mike &

Rick Dungeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07747710915134776525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-45262296964431461962010-11-05T14:27:00.000-07:002010-11-05T14:48:12.593-07:00

Here's something cool. The official 500th Anniversary “The Spirit of Christmas” commemorative painting to benefit the Christmas Spirit Foundation & the National Christmas Tree Association arrived in our office. Lauren from our office is holding it up here while we figure out a place to display it. The original painting was done by artist Jesse Barnes.You can also buy a copy from Fine Art Limited

Rick Dungeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07747710915134776525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-58990726574699459422010-10-22T14:19:00.000-07:002010-10-22T14:42:41.727-07:00

So last month I posted that we would be blogging about a specific tree going from a farm in New Hampshire to my house here in St. Louis. The idea is that it gives insight maybe into where trees come from in order to get to your living room. There are still a handful of misinformed people out there who think Christmas trees are just harvested from the wild. And, there are many people who don't

Rick Dungeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07747710915134776525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-46075821364358963882010-10-19T09:49:00.000-07:002010-11-30T16:51:32.979-08:00

Interesting discussion with Chelsey this week about our Christmas tree myths page. Here is a sample:--------------------------------------------------------------------------------From: ChelseySent: Monday, October 18, 2010 4:06 PMTo: info@realchristmastrees.orgSubject: Christmas Tree Facts PageHello,Just so you know, I got on your site for information on real trees. I’ve always had a fake tree,

Rick Dungeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07747710915134776525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-21551763215704457672010-10-06T07:27:00.000-07:002010-10-06T14:49:50.214-07:00

http://www.refresheverything.com/treesfortroops Well, the Trees for Troops program did not get the Pepsi Refresh grant in September, but it did make the top 100, so it rolls over into the October contest. Woohoo! That means you need to VOTE EVERY DAY the rest of the month. Interesting news story this week about struggling plastic tree factories in China. Apparently they are struggling partly

Rick Dungeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07747710915134776525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-15954836782090835052010-09-24T09:44:00.000-07:002010-09-24T09:55:20.368-07:00

Don't forget to vote...every DAY!!! The Trees for Troops program is still in the top 100 for the Pepsi Refresh grant contest for September but needs a late month push to get the money and provide more trees to service men and women and their families this year. http://www.refresheverything.com/treesfortroops We watched the preview clip of a short film by Susan Sfarra and put it in our youtube

RealTreeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055016837494652530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-37168604369581654392010-09-16T08:55:00.000-07:002010-09-16T10:25:25.862-07:00

A few interesting things going on this week.First, don’t forget to vote for the Trees for Troops program in the Pepsi Refresh grant contest. You can vote once per day online AND once per day by text. That’s 2 votes per day. USE THEM!! Click here. Second, now that the schools are back in session, many tree farms are planning out their farm tours with school and youth groups. Harvest season and

RealTreeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055016837494652530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-74100243356788681012010-09-02T13:48:00.000-07:002010-09-02T13:56:20.911-07:00

Help us bring an additional 5,000 military families together in SPIRIT this Christmas, just by clicking the mouse a couple times per day.Trees for Troops in the Running for $250,000 in grant money from the Pepsi Refresh Project! I emailed the Rush Limbaugh show today to see if they would champion this effort by urging listeners to vote for us each day in September. You never know ...Since 2005,

Rick Dungeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07747710915134776525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-20355065488685122222010-08-18T10:38:00.000-07:002010-08-18T10:43:48.627-07:00

I was asked recently by a magazine editor to sum up in a sentence or two why a farm-grown Christmas tree was better than fake, plastic tree. I struggled to get it down to one or two sentences (because the reasons are so many) but I can expand here.From hybrid vehicles to water-saving toilets, many companies are trying to capture the interest of the environmentally conscious consumer. The Real

RealTreeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055016837494652530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-46116877701493086222010-07-28T09:36:00.000-07:002010-07-28T10:37:21.249-07:00

OK, so I like to use the "slow season" to poke fun at fake trees. Here's an article from a publication called Christmas 365 that describes, in detail, how to clean a fake Christmas tree. In the summer time. It's 3 pages worth of instructions. Seriously.ummmmm ....so I guess those arguments from fake tree people about their product being "more convenient" than a farm-grown Christmas tree are .

Rick Dungeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07747710915134776525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-69537490995621210802010-07-15T09:11:00.000-07:002010-07-15T09:36:27.238-07:00

We have a guest blog submitted this week by Richard Moore, President of the National Christmas Tree Association (NCTA) and his wife, Kay. Richard and Kay own and operate Moore Tree Farm in Groton, New York. Above (l. to r.) are Franz Raith of Austria and President of The Christmas Tree Growers Council of Europe, Dick and Kay Moore, and Bernd Oelkers, of Germany, who hosted the meeting.We recently

Rick Dungeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07747710915134776525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-75510180107879699382010-06-22T09:37:00.000-07:002010-06-22T10:21:07.659-07:00

Thanks to everyone who sent in great stories about how recycling farm-grown Christmas trees gives back to nature and helps the environment. You can see some examples of these on this NCTA web page http://www.christmastree.org/recycle.cfmNow, a common Christmas tree related machine is helping Gulf Coast residents clean up and protect natural resources from the oil spill. When you buy your

Rick Dungeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07747710915134776525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-49085890341853234882010-06-17T13:12:00.000-07:002010-06-17T13:27:19.292-07:00

Supporting military troops and their families this Christmas is just a few clicks away. Trees for Troops, a program of the Christmas SPIRIT Foundation, makes the holidays a little brighter for military personnel and their families by giving them fresh, full-sized farm-grown Christmas Trees grown by American farm families. Trees for Troops is competing with charities nationwide through the Chase

LuvChristmashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03207532875808391191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-11054982443224335112009-12-19T10:29:00.000-08:002009-12-19T10:58:36.906-08:00

Less than a week to go until Christmas and people are still buying trees. We've heard from some folks who have a specific number of days before Christmas when they put up their tree to decorate. We know others are waiting for family members to come home before trimming their tree.Many people though have already put up their tree and have been asking some common, and some not so common questions.

Rick Dungeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07747710915134776525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-59539935315515539222009-12-09T07:24:00.000-08:002009-12-09T07:33:00.108-08:00

I wanted to post a blog based on a conversation / interview I had yesterday with a reporter. I was asked, "Since the conference on global warming is taking place, my editor wanted to know what your take on Christmas trees and global warming is."Now, ignoring the obvious irony involved here as I sit in an airport delayed by the massive snow storm pounding the eastern half of the country, I have

Rick Dungeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07747710915134776525noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-82279235821137172009-12-05T13:27:00.000-08:002009-12-05T14:11:39.495-08:00

First, thanks to everyone who has taken our online Christmas Tree survey. If you'd like to participate and see the survey results, go to the front page of the NCTA web site http://www.christmastree.org/home.cfm This is the week when we start seeing tons of questions from Christmas tree lovers and many of them are quite common. Maybe you or someone you know has the same question? Anyway, below

Rick Dungeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07747710915134776525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-79283809054881388182009-11-28T05:36:00.001-08:002009-11-28T05:40:27.665-08:00

The tradition of having a Christmas tree in the White House began 120 years ago in 1889 – Benjamin Harrison’s first Christmas there. The tradition has continued since then, though the details vary from year to year. The residents of the White House change. The decorations change. The people that handle the many, many details change. The species of tree, the location where it was grown and the

LuvChristmashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03207532875808391191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-39901904454794607382009-11-25T16:06:00.000-08:002009-11-25T16:32:35.599-08:00

Well, here we are ...another great season of fresh Christmas trees. We haven't heard (knock on wood) of any major harvest snafus going on, so tree lots and farms should be stocked and ready to go this weekend.Already getting some good questions from tree enthusiasts out there. Some samples with my answers in blue:From: ROD AND JENNIFER Sent: Wednesday, November 25, 2009 2:46 PMTo: info@

Rick Dungeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07747710915134776525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-45424530391604189822009-11-16T14:00:00.000-08:002009-11-16T14:04:57.315-08:00

Received a tweet about getting a fake tree instead of a real one because they are not allowed in this person's apartment building. Posted below with our full answer.Jenna (@jmd05) asked:@Trees4Troops Do you have an option for those Military families who live in apartments who are only allowed fake trees due to fire hazards?Jenna,First, understand that there is no fire code that prohibits cut

Rick Dungeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07747710915134776525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-17480711963288928992009-11-16T12:53:00.000-08:002009-11-16T13:22:42.847-08:00

Reprinted from Steve Drake's blog on Causaholic. It's about the Christmas SPIRIT Foundation's Trees for Troops program.The Christmas SPIRIT Foundation (CSF) accidentally discovered a copycat ripoff of our TweetUp4Troops effort to generate support for its Trees for Troops program.And, this ripoff creates an ethical dilemma for the Foundation and CSF would like your opinion and suggestions.Here's

Rick Dungeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07747710915134776525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-57524084624959343142009-11-11T08:09:00.001-08:002009-11-11T08:09:50.800-08:00

Trees for Troops International Kick-off EventYesterday’s Trees for Troops international kick-off event from the Department of Agriculture in Columbus, Ohio went off without a hitch. Over 75 Ohio farmers, area school children, local and FedEx volunteers helped to pack-up handmade holiday cards, decorations and over 200 Christmas trees which are on their way to Kuwait to be delivered to military

Rick Dungeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07747710915134776525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-87068733542100198092009-11-03T09:27:00.000-08:002009-11-03T10:10:21.121-08:00

If you've been reading this blog for a while, you've probably heard us mention the Trees for Troops program from time to time. Created by the Christmas SPIRIT Foundation, the 501(c)(3) charitable branch of NCTA, the Trees for Troops program has delivered more than 50,000 Real Christmas Trees to military families across the nation and around the world.The program is gearing up for its fifth year,

RealTreeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055016837494652530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-63879202778720017312009-10-23T07:27:00.000-07:002009-10-23T07:39:10.336-07:00

It may be a new administration in the White House - but some things never change. Continuing a long-time tradition (since 1966 in fact), White House staff selected the Blue Room Christmas Tree earlier this week.Director of the Executive Residence and White House Chief Usher Stephen Rochon and Superintendent of Grounds Dale Haney traveled to Shepherdstown, W.V., to handpick a beautiful 18 1/2-

RealTreeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055016837494652530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-63958168989537438712009-09-04T12:46:00.000-07:002009-09-04T13:45:25.305-07:00

Apparently fake tree sellers are incapable of admitting defeat. The proverbial ship has left the harbor on the environment issue when it comes to choosing a fake, plastic tree over a real, farm-grown one. Even decidedly pro-environmental groups have recommended for years to use a real Christmas tree instead of a fake one ...for example, treehugger.com http://www.treehugger.com/files/2004/12/

Rick Dungeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07747710915134776525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-16892267776221852212009-08-19T15:58:00.000-07:002009-08-19T16:01:22.308-07:00

Wow, a fascinating article at ESPN.com of all places popped up today on my google alert. A Christmas tree farm hosts a professional disc golf tournament. The course is laid out around the tree farm.http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=mccluskey/090819

Rick Dungeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07747710915134776525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-91644377663370261742009-08-04T16:30:00.000-07:002009-08-04T16:33:56.428-07:00

How Does a Christmas Tree Improve Fishing?Let me say up front, I’m not a biologist. I don’t even play one on TV. This is not my field of expertise. I am, however, an avid and frequent angler. I fish as often as possible from March through November. I fish most often for largemouth bass, but I have targeted many other species as well.I have been asked in this capacity why or how sinking Christmas

Rick Dungeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07747710915134776525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-34682504666100760512009-04-10T13:07:00.000-07:002009-04-10T13:10:11.975-07:00

Just saw an article about the USDA's Animal Plant Health Inspection Service publishing rules on importing goods from China, particularly artificial Christmas trees."APHIS said it issued more than 300 emergency orders since 2002 because of wood-boring beetles it found in imported Chinese artificial trees."Read the full post here. http://www.joc.com/node/410689

Rick Dungeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07747710915134776525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-17719838574023294222009-03-22T19:39:00.000-07:002009-03-22T21:59:10.652-07:00

Saturday, we helped to give used Christmas trees a second life by dropping them into Mark Twain Lake. In all, about 400 trees were dropped from 2 different locations. This was the fifth year that the Army Corp of Engineers (Corp) has run such a program at this lake. Prior to that they had recycled some trees without the help of boats -- walking them into the water at various places.The water

LuvChristmashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03207532875808391191noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-7315708760412681822009-01-28T09:41:00.000-08:002009-01-28T09:52:28.038-08:00

Read through some of these, and it's easy to see why this is a labor of love for all involved. It's such a worthwhile endeavor. Thanks to all who donated.Trees for TroopsMy Story E-mails 2009From: Emily MillerTo: info@christmasspiritfoundation.orgSubject: Thank youThank you so much Trees for Troops and Glove Hollow Farm at Fort Knox, KY. We appreciate your donation and your continual support

Rick Dungeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07747710915134776525noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-41845728889274762712008-12-19T09:38:00.000-08:002008-12-19T09:49:52.078-08:00

From: ElpisnrevSent: Friday, December 19, 2008 7:26 AMTo: info@realchristmastrees.orgSubject: Blog Talk IdeasChristmas tree water starting to smell foul:I see that I am not the only person who has a problem with a foul smell from the water after a week or so. It's rather pungent, to the point where I have looked to see if someone has thrown up behind my sofa cushions.....I have noticed that

Rick Dungeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07747710915134776525noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-16753660549376726562008-12-17T10:54:00.000-08:002008-12-17T10:57:22.410-08:00

heck I thought they were fire retardant????....at least they say so on the box. Wonder who tests them to make sure that claim is legit?...oh, that's right, nobody does.One of these days a manufacturer making that claim on their box is going to get sued.I'm sorry to this family and the store...I hope they're able to still have a Merry Christmas, and next year, maybe they'll consider a fresh,

Rick Dungeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07747710915134776525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-29154151660427046532008-12-15T14:28:00.000-08:002008-12-15T15:15:21.014-08:00

Only 10 more days to get a tree if you haven't yet.Want to see why the Trees for Troops program is so cool ...check out the piece NBC News did:http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619#28210632Every year when I tell people that you can buy a tree online, I get a series of "I never knew that's". Yep, it's really quite simple. It's a great option for people who maybe just don't have time or the vehicle

Rick Dungeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07747710915134776525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-42512633765356562642008-12-11T09:32:00.000-08:002008-12-11T11:04:32.062-08:00

The Sunday after Thanksgiving, I accompanied Pam Helmsing, executive director of NCTA, to Washington D.C. to present the official White House Christmas Tree. As this is my first year with NCTA, I have never seen the Blue Room Christmas Tree presentation. It was definitely a career high for Christmas Tree growers Jessie Davis and Rusty Estes of River Ridge Tree Farms, and I was glad I could be

RealTreeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055016837494652530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-89529948146307060412008-12-08T11:08:00.000-08:002008-12-08T11:09:16.754-08:00

Trees for Troops -- Growing AgainWell, I've been on the West Coast since Monday (12/1) as part of the Trees for Troops program for the Christmas SPIRIT Foundation, one of our client partners.This is my fourth year being part of Trees for Troops ... and, I'm discovering that it is continuing to grow ... expecially in excitement among military families and in coverage from the news media.In the

Rick Dungeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07747710915134776525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-71189247881446386442008-12-06T12:26:00.000-08:002008-12-06T12:30:43.730-08:00

Maria had a very common question about her tree.From: Maria Sent: Saturday, December 06, 2008 12:27 AMTo: info@realchristmastrees.orgSubject: Blog Talk IdeasI'm getting nervous!We purchased our tree this past Wednesday, December 2. It's a white spruce. We made a fresh cut on the bottom before we put it in the stand, taking off about 3 inches. We also trimmed the top off, to make the tree fit

Rick Dungeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07747710915134776525noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-30786905113917057352008-11-28T12:51:00.000-08:002008-11-29T08:57:47.022-08:00

OK, we all know that since they're a plant and 100% biodegradable, a Real Christmas Tree can be recycled, and more than 90% of them are from what we can tell. But recycling is done on a very local level. It's not uncommon for each county or even township/municipality to have their own recycling program.And we also know that PVC and metal -- the materials fake trees are made from, not to put too

Rick Dungeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07747710915134776525noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-17986082020340185662008-11-26T08:22:00.000-08:002008-11-26T08:27:12.672-08:00

FINALLY!...Christmas tree season is here, well I guess Friday it really starts. Some good questions and feedback starting to come in.From: Stacey Sent: Tuesday, November 25, 2008 9:45 AMTo: info@realchristmastrees.orgSubject: locating potted treesHi,I was reading an article about contacting you to find out if there are programs near where I live to purchase a live potted Christmas tree instead

Rick Dungeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07747710915134776525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-33164333390020767142008-11-14T15:35:00.000-08:002008-11-14T15:40:27.267-08:00

Heres' the concern we have with reference to the Christmas tree mold issue. We would never dispute the results; we're quite sure the device did measure an increase in mold spores during the time frame. But we take issue with what the allergy doctor did with that measurement.1. He called it a study, which, with no control group measured and compared, is misleading at best. As pointed out in the

Rick Dungeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07747710915134776525noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-68673388097957394292008-11-11T14:10:00.000-08:002008-11-11T14:18:14.043-08:00

It's that time of year when more than 30 million homes in the U.S. will decorate with a farm-grown Christmas tree. It's also a time when consumers will read or see the "Christmas tree fire story" and be scared out of buying a real tree.The growers and retailers of farm-grown trees have been working with fire safety officials, scientists and testing labs for years to provide scientifically

Rick Dungeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07747710915134776525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-76412022950434712702008-11-07T15:11:00.000-08:002008-11-07T15:12:59.518-08:00

Trees for Troops kicks off next Wednesday with the collection of farm-grown trees in Ohio which will be boxed up and begin a long journey to the Middle East and Afghanistan. Hiopefully they will bring a little Christmas spirit to our fellow citizens serving in our military currently deployed away from home.I've been to that tree collection event before…it is quite a neat thing to see. About 300

Rick Dungeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07747710915134776525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-66760359106669145022008-10-31T14:06:00.000-07:002008-10-31T14:28:12.089-07:00

So, tomorrow is November 1. We're officially 55 days away from Christmas. Some interesting things came up this week and I wanted to post them before going trick or treating with my nieces tonight.First, the Trees for Troops program just received a major award for community projects which Advance America from American Society of Association Executives at their annual convention. They produced a

Rick Dungeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07747710915134776525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-75605881482619541142008-10-21T17:56:00.000-07:002008-10-28T10:01:12.173-07:00

One of the coolest things that the national Christmas Tree Association does is present the official White House Christmas Tree to the first lady each year. This is the tree that is displayed in the Blue Room of the White House, holds hand-made ornaments from around the country, is often the backdrop for interviews with the First Lady during the Holiday Season, and is often featured in HGTV’s

LuvChristmashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03207532875808391191noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-25400663594928871742008-10-14T14:13:00.000-07:002008-10-14T14:17:11.148-07:00

got an interesting email this weekend about another angle to consider in the fake vs real tree debate (which is over in my mind)From: tulis@Sent: Saturday, October 11, 2008 7:32 PMTo: info@realchristmastrees.orgSubject: Another fact...I have been reading your pages about artificial vs. real trees - another point to consider is that real trees save energy. Fake trees go up after Thanksgiving and

Rick Dungeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07747710915134776525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-31177549258738133912008-08-27T08:14:00.000-07:002008-08-27T08:26:37.060-07:00

An ad for Claritan allergy medicine came across our office the other day. It has some fascinatnig claims about climate change, plant biology and allergies of course.here's my random take/thoughts on the claritan ad-"low-allergy trees" ..??????....seriously?....what, are they a root-cutting, sterile species/variety? ...what kind of tree are they planting?...that has about as much credibility as

Rick Dungeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07747710915134776525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-85255079772224215402008-08-07T15:10:00.000-07:002008-08-07T15:22:41.934-07:00

We saw a great article today on a British E-zine called The Independent. Full article link here http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/johann-hari-dont-let-the-games-blind-us-to-the-plight-of-chinas-workers-887136.htmlIt describes labor conditions in China and how workers are not allowed to form unions, negotiate for safe work conditions or higher wages nor get adequate

Rick Dungeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07747710915134776525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-60777252450483188492008-07-23T11:28:00.000-07:002008-07-23T11:30:28.801-07:00

Great article and accompanying blog about trying to eliminate plastic in consumer products. I read her blog, but couldn't see a reference to what type of Christmas Tree she uses. I wonder if she has a nasty, fake plastic tree?http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1821664,00.htmlhttp://lifelessplastic.blogspot.com/http://trukid.wordpress.com/2008/07/18/plastic-plastic-everywhere/

Rick Dungeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07747710915134776525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-86542663384591366662008-06-30T12:36:00.001-07:002008-06-30T12:39:25.654-07:00

Clearly, the "debate" is settled, but there's nothing wrong with pointing out even more little known facts about Christmas tree farms and how they benefit eco-systems.Here's a link to an article about a tree farm in North Carolina, which was recently bequeathed to two farm managers along with lots of acreage around it. They are going to sell it to a conservancy group to maintain it as a public

Rick Dungeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07747710915134776525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-2784427598022234482008-02-13T07:34:00.000-08:002008-02-13T07:54:49.129-08:00

courtesy of Nicole Kellogg, Program CoordinatorMy two-week Tour De Trees for Troops started this year in St. Louis and took me to Fort Leonard Wood, MO, Fort Campbell, KY and Fort Knox, KY. The end of the first week I came home and visited Scott Air Force Base and then traveled to Georgia where I stopped at Fort Benning, Fort Stewart and Fort Gordon. It was a whirlwind two weeks, but always worth

RealTreeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055016837494652530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-72662783751940510162007-12-19T14:59:00.000-08:002008-02-12T15:04:53.377-08:00

A couple more for today ...From: Erika HeinzSubject: not drinkingI bought my tree the day after Thanksgiving, same as every year. And I watered it every day. Almost a week ago it stopped drinking water. Not a drop. It looks fine. Nothing is turning brown or falling off ... yet. But Christmas is not for a week! And I am getting nervous it may not make it. I drilled a couple of holes in the sides

RealTreeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055016837494652530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-28907230780280259182007-12-19T14:35:00.000-08:002008-02-12T15:05:51.704-08:00

More good comments and questions this week.From: Jean ConwaySent: Sunday, December 16, 2007Subject: white house treeAs a curious citizen of the USA in a small town of Texas, I was wondering how many trees does the White House have and how much money does it take to buy them?Answer: The number of trees they use varies from year to year. We have no idea how much they spend on trees, decorations or

RealTreeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055016837494652530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-81359672418291132372007-12-19T14:33:00.000-08:002008-02-12T14:35:23.335-08:00

Thanks to everyone who submitted a video in the YouTube video contest. Be sure to take a moment to check out the 13 finalists. Winners should be posted by the end of the week once the judges turn in their score sheets. Check out all the videos and tell us what you think.

RealTreeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055016837494652530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-79468930286406476852007-12-19T14:30:00.000-08:002008-02-12T14:33:36.083-08:00

Relayed by one of our members ... He explained to a customer who had just bought a cut tree to make a fresh cut when they got home and then put it in a stand. On hearing this, the customer asked," Won't that kill the tree?" Does that make me bad that I chuckled at that?

RealTreeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055016837494652530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-60406563335071409212007-12-14T13:56:00.000-08:002008-02-12T14:30:39.843-08:00

Sorry for not getting more blog entries up this week, it was quite busy and there were many questions and topics sent in.Just wanted to share this email we received this week. It represents another example of why we love coordinating the Trees for Troops program with FedEx.Sir or Ma’am-I just wanted to thank your company for sponsoring the trees for troops program. I am a Navy sailor embedded

RealTreeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055016837494652530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-54776675438158496152007-12-05T08:00:00.000-08:002010-08-18T10:25:09.945-07:00

Here's another good (and common) question and answer about how to care for a fresh Christmas Tree.From: O.A.Sent: Wednesday, December 05, 2007Subject: Tree care - additives to water or not?I'd like to know if additives (i.e. preservatives) to the water for Christmas Trees are helpful and/or necessary? A well-respected garden store in my town even told me to make a scrape in the trunk of the tree

RealTreeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055016837494652530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-11937176577173658792007-12-05T07:56:00.000-08:002008-02-11T09:19:47.920-08:00

A few days ago, newspaper articles talked about a new "study" done by some allergy doctors that showed having a farm-grown Chrismtas Tree raised levels of mold spores in a home. I put the word study in quotes because legitimate scientists would not consider what they had done a study.Recently we received a report from six scientists calling their data "not supported by sound science due to

RealTreeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055016837494652530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-26942866248010858702007-12-05T07:52:00.000-08:002008-02-11T09:20:01.361-08:00

Want to see why Trees for Troops is such a cool program? Just check out our new slide show at YouTube.

RealTreeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055016837494652530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-32093016519787191792007-12-03T08:40:00.000-08:002008-02-11T08:49:23.986-08:00

More reader questions ...From: Tiffany BoltonSent: Friday, November 30, 2007Subject: Tree QuestionI've been doing some reading on your site related to shearing of trees and the angle at which this is done. In our home, we have the height space for a 10 foot tree, but we don't have the horizontal room for it to be 8 foot wide at the base. From our past experience, most trees at our local tree

RealTreeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055016837494652530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-38962754110667500462007-12-03T08:34:00.000-08:002008-02-11T09:20:17.865-08:00

In an article at The Daily Progress, some guy named James H. Gilmore said:Q: How does the notion of "real" and "fake" apply to Christmas?A: If you analyze the [Christmas tree] industry, the folks who grow natural grown trees are actually seeing a 20% decline in sales. They have an association called the National Christmas Tree Association. They do not accept manufacturers of artificial trees.

RealTreeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055016837494652530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-35174965707833776512007-11-29T08:53:00.000-08:002008-02-12T08:38:02.027-08:00

From: Bob KirbySent: Sunday, November 25, 2007Subject: Re:irateI've kept this e-mail all year to let you know what we decided to do this Christmas. We got a pre-lit artificial tree with molded needles. It was set up in 30 minutes. Looks great and we won't have to worry about taking it down because it is losing needles.Answer: I'm sorry to hear that Bob. I used to have a fake tree, and it shed PVC

RealTreeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055016837494652530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-36319249989779368992007-11-29T08:49:00.000-08:002008-02-11T08:53:22.918-08:00

Be careful with those fake trees people ... although I realize not many people reading this would have a fake tree. Here's a typical line in a news story about holiday safety:Getting into the holiday spirit, the CPSC offered these decorating safety tips: Look for a label that says "fire resistant" before buying an artificial tree.Ummm, there's just one problem with that. Those are just words on a

RealTreeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055016837494652530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-19165472776189251972007-11-23T07:56:00.000-08:002008-02-12T08:07:33.389-08:00

From: KarenSubject: question about real treeCan you spray a real tree with the white snow so that you can have a white tree?Answer: I'm not sure what "white snow" you are referring to. Many retail locations offer a service called flocking, which applies a substance to the tree making it look like it's covered in snow.From: mbburgerSubject: Where to donate artificial tree?We have an artificial

RealTreeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055016837494652530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-1435625198782456782007-11-23T07:54:00.000-08:002008-02-12T07:56:46.402-08:00

First things first - let's squelch a rumor going around today that originated from an AP wire story.PRICES OF TREES ARE NOT GOING TO INCREASE BECAUSE OF HIGHER FUEL COSTS!!!The article quoted one auction house manager moving 40,000 trees from Pennsylvania. Well, 40,000 is a drop in the bucket. All of the growers we have heard from have said the harvest and supply is good, the number of trucking

RealTreeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055016837494652530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-62935489378930126532007-11-21T08:20:00.000-08:002008-02-12T08:35:21.953-08:00

Almost time! Thanksgiving is tomorrow and the tree season is upon us.We're getting some good e-mail questions and feedback from site visitors, and I'll start posting some of those on Friday. I just wanted to rant a little more about how fake tree people try to misdirect and confuse consumers.Check out this advertisement: "In addition to saving our forests ..." Sometimes people don't believe me

RealTreeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055016837494652530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-18151216443049982392007-11-08T08:07:00.000-08:002008-02-12T08:19:58.076-08:00

Ok, this week I'll get some ranting out of the way so we can concentrate on positive things the closer we get to the Christmas season.The rant subject is the "debate" over whether a fake tree is a better eco-choice than a Real Tree. Quite frankly, it befuddles me that there is still a debate at all and that there are consumers out there who still think a manufactured product is better for the

RealTreeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055016837494652530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-59158049992933897142006-12-19T08:12:00.000-08:002008-04-04T08:17:01.496-07:00

From: Robert & TracySent: Sunday, December 17, 2006 3:48 PMSubject: smelly tree waterJust a quick question about tree water. Unfortunately although we cut off about an inch of our trunk on the Douglas Fir we purchased two weeks ago, it absorbed virtually no water. Now, the water is beginning to smell foul and just curious if you have any suggestions for any water additives to get rid of the smell

RealTreeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055016837494652530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-2570240132097722412006-12-19T07:36:00.000-08:002008-04-04T07:37:30.265-07:00

As we get closer to Christmas Tree season, I’m reminded of a topic that became – in my opinion – over-hyped last year. Namely, is it inappropriate to use the term Christmas Tree?We received many inquiries from journalists on this topic. Did we have a stance? I usually responded the same as the association spokespersons with something along the lines of “ultimately, as long as people buy a

RealTreeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055016837494652530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-27337805411686032832006-12-15T08:00:00.000-08:002008-04-04T08:12:31.198-07:00

We’ve posted several descriptions and accounts of the Trees for Troops program. Today, we thought we’d share some of the feedback we receive from the families who get those trees. It’s easy to stay motivated when you read stuff like this. This was posted on the comments board at the Christmas SPIRIT Foundation site. More --> I went with my husband Charles to Ft. Gordon , Ga. to renew my I.D. card

RealTreeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055016837494652530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-53463865465975546692006-12-12T07:58:00.000-08:002008-04-04T08:00:56.223-07:00

From: Chris KunkleSent: Sunday, December 10, 2006Subject: YUK! Fish smell from my Christmas tree!I swear there is a fish smell coming from my fresh-cut Christmas tree. The same thing happened in 2003. I never figured it out back then so I ultimately assumed I was just really sensitive to smells given I was a month pregnant. Oddly enough I'm pregnant again - this time 3 months along - but I swear

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Blog entry submitted by Nicole Kellogg of the Christmas SPIRIT Foundation staff who has coordinated most of the tree donations and deliveries.After traveling from coast to coast my Trees for Troops trip is nearing an end. Tomorrow I will be at Fort Gordon while soldiers unload 759 trees for families to collect as soon as they come off the FedEx truck. I have no doubt the trees will be received

RealTreeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055016837494652530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-26078114699022589502006-12-08T07:56:00.000-08:002008-04-04T07:58:05.670-07:00

Blog entry submitted by Nicole Kellogg of the Christmas SPIRIT Foundation staff who has coordinated most of the tree donations and deliveries.After traveling from coast to coast my Trees for Troops trip is nearing an end. Tomorrow I will be at Fort Gordon while soldiers unload 759 trees for families to collect as soon as they come off the FedEx truck. I have no doubt the trees will be received

RealTreeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055016837494652530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-31033798631325933252006-12-06T07:53:00.000-08:002008-04-04T07:56:39.421-07:00

From: MarySent: Monday, November 27, 2006To: info@realchristmastrees.orgSubject: Blog Talk IdeasHow do I keep my tree fresh?I bought a tree yesterday Nov. 26th at Armstrong Nursery ($99 deal includes a 5ft 6" Noble Tree, 6 foot garland, 1 (24) inch wreath, and 4 - Poinsettias). Good Yes?! I think so. The Tree is inside in water. What else can I do to keep it fresh? It has lost needles but lets

RealTreeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055016837494652530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-79908486595389944482006-12-02T07:51:00.000-08:002008-04-04T07:53:08.113-07:00

(Blog entries by Becky Rasmussen and Steve Drake of NCTA who are traveling with the Trees for Troops convoy in the Pacific Northwest.)Filed by Becky RasmussenI thought you all were sending me someplace warm ... the weather in Vegas is 40 degrees and 20 degrees wind chill.The Nellis AFB delivery went off without a hitch. The FedEx truck with nearly 600 trees (and a driver who was a Gulf War

RealTreeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055016837494652530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-37246072952110112152006-12-01T07:50:00.000-08:002008-04-04T07:51:49.588-07:00

(Blog entry by Steve Drake, CEO of the Christmas SPIRIT Foundation, who is traveling with the Trees for Troops convoy in the Pacific Northwest.)The Trees for Troops program launched into full force Monday (November 27) with pickups in Oregon, Washington, Maine and New Hampshire.In Oregon, a wintery snow storm added to the Christmas spirit as more than 2,500 trees were loaded into FedEx Freight

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We’ve heard from several farms around the country who have reported sales started off brisk this weekend. I suspect that next weekend, many more people will start to get into the Christmas mood with a massive cold front coming through most of the country.You may have heard about the Trees for Troops program. It kicks off the domestic routes next week and we’ll be posting many updates about that.

RealTreeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055016837494652530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-46840003498163642592006-11-22T07:46:00.000-08:002008-04-04T07:48:18.954-07:00

From: Ryan McDanielSent: Sunday, November 19, 2006Subject: third xmas tree option?Everyone knows about the two options available for xmas trees--real or fake. But what about this one: get a variety of pine that only grows to the average height of a cut xmas tree (about 8 feet?), and just bring it in every year. Or if there is no xmas-looking tree that only grows to this height, you may be able to

RealTreeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055016837494652530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-6717846625409813912006-11-18T07:43:00.000-08:002008-04-04T07:46:19.370-07:00

Thanksgiving is next week... a blog entry was due.Got a great e-mail note forwarded from a farm in New Hampshire. The note came from a customer who had just ordered a farm-grown tree.From: Terry KaiserTo: Nigel ManleySent: Thursday, November 16, 2006Subject: Re: Tree orderThank you! I bought my first artificial tree last year and can't stand it!!Answer: Yeah, well, I can see how that would happen

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From: MarthaSent: Wednesday, November 08, 2006Subject: Which Tree?Which kind of tree would smell the best? I haven't had a real tree in years and I've missed it.Answer: Glad to know you'll be going back to a traditional, farm-grown Christmas Tree Martha. It's impossible to tell you which tree smells the best. Smell is a very subjective sense...what smells "good" to me may not to other people, and

RealTreeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055016837494652530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859044541840260349.post-5913128998560600312006-11-07T07:38:00.000-08:002008-04-04T07:40:08.286-07:00

Many people are beginning to think about their tree and decorating needs now that we are into November and chillier weather (at least it’s chilly here in St. Louis).We got a great question from Travis this week about finding a narrow tree that fits in an urban condo. I face the same problem, as I live in a rennovated, 140 year old row house in St. Louis. The whole space of my place is only 14.5

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