Choose-and-Cut Christmas Tree Program Begins Nov. 27

BOONE, N.C. - North Carolina's High Country is a popular destination every holiday season for the choose-and-cut Christmas tree program. More than half of the 1,600 tree farms in the state are located in the High Country and many offer special packages that allow folks to visit the mountains and enjoy the excitement of selecting their own Christmas tree.

"It's an exciting experience for a family to come up and let the kids wander the fields and decide which tree they want," says Jennifer Greene of the N.C.
Christmas Tree Association. "Some farms offer hayrides, some have petting zoos, or bonfires or hot apple cider for their guests. And, many now have craft shops and gift shops on the premises."

As the N.C. Christmas Tree Association celebrates its 50th year in 2009, officials are seeing more and more folks eager to flock to the higher elevations to
choose their fraser fir tree instead of waiting until trees are shipped to the cities. Some tree growers even partner with inns, cabins and hotels to provide
overnight packages that include a choose-and-cut tree. Greene says that's a trend that has taken off in the last five to six years.

"Most people have this wonderful vision in their head of the perfect tree and they come to the High Country - young and old - to start their celebration with a
real Christmas tree," she says.

In a typical year, North Carolina harvests around five million trees, making it the second-most prolific tree producing state behind Oregon, while the N.C.
Christmas tree industry brings in $124 million in annual revenue, according to state commissioner of agriculture Steve Troxler.

The choose-and-cut program begins in earnest the Friday after Thanksgiving and runs through Christmas Eve.

To receive a free booklet on the choose-and-cut program or to locate a tree farm, call the N.C. Christmas Tree Association at (800) 562-8789, or visit:
www.NCchristmastrees.com.