[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 23]
[Senate]
[Pages 31879-31880]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         COMMENDING JOE FREEMAN

 Mrs. DOLE. Mr. President, today I wish to congratulate Joe 
Freeman of

[[Page 31880]]

Mistletoe Meadows Christmas Tree Farm in Laurel Springs, NC, for 
winning the National Christmas Tree Association's 2007 National 
Christmas Tree Contest. As the Grand Champion, Mr. Freeman has the 
distinguished honor of providing this year's Official White House 
Christmas Tree. This storied tradition began in 1966, and I applaud Mr. 
Freeman for producing North Carolina's tenth Official White House 
Christmas Tree. After winning at the State level, the Mr. Freeman's 
prized 18\1/2\ foot Fraser fir was selected at the national 
competition. The prized tree was chosen to be the Blue Room Christmas 
Tree by White House Chief Usher Stephen Rochon, Superintendent of 
Grounds Irv Williams, Grounds Foreman Mike Lawn and White House Florist 
Nancy Clarke. Mr. Freeman and Ms. Linda Jones will have the honor of 
presenting the prized Blue Room Tree to First Lady Laura Bush in a 
special ceremony at the White House on November 26, 2007.
  This year's Official White House Christmas Tree is a fine example of 
the exceptional quality of Christmas trees that we have in North 
Carolina. According to the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, in 
2006 North Carolina led the nation in Christmas tree production, 
providing roughly one out of every four Christmas trees in the United 
States, and contributing over $134 million to North Carolina's economy. 
But this success did not come easily; it takes several years of 
meticulous care and attention to raise a Christmas tree. An average 7 
foot tree is about 10 years old, and throughout that time the grower 
diligently shapes, grooms, and fertilizes the tree several times per 
year. Not many people realize the years of hard work and sacrifice that 
go into raising a Christmas tree, and our growers are to be commended 
for their continuous success.
  North Carolina celebrates a rich history of Christmas Trees, and year 
after year, many American families enjoy the warmth and beauty of these 
North Carolina trees that are a symbol of the holiday season. I am 
proud of the hard work exhibited by our Christmas tree growers in North 
Carolina, and I am proud that there will be another North Carolina 
Christmas tree in the White House this year.

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