This year's National Christmas Tree was harvested this week in Carbon County and will be delivered to the White House on November 27, said Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff.

The tree was grown by Crystal Spring Tree Farm in Lehighton, the winner of the Douglas-fir competition in the Pennsylvania Christmas Tree Growers Association tree contest at the Pennsylvania Farm Show last January.

Crystal Spring went on to win at the National Christmas Tree Association's competition, earning the honor of supplying the National Christmas Tree.

"Pennsylvania is a national leader in growing Christmas trees, and this is a terrific example of our state's high-quality trees," said Secretary Wolff. "Consumers who purchase Pennsylvania-grown Christmas trees at farms and retail locations are supporting our state's economy."

Pennsylvania ranks first in the nation in the number of Christmas tree farms and ranks fourth in the nation in the number of Christmas trees cut each year and the acres of production. Pennsylvania has 2,164 farms covering 44,905 acres that produce 1.7 million cut trees each year. These farms have more than $13.9 million in sales annually.

Crystal Spring is the newest member of the PA Preferred program, which helps consumers identify quality products grown or produced in Pennsylvania. The PA Preferred logo will be displayed on the tree as it arrives in Washington D.C.

This is the fifth year a Pennsylvania grower has presented the National Christmas Tree.

The Christmas tree is perhaps the most notable agricultural-related symbol of the holiday season. In the 1830s, Pennsylvania's German settlers displayed the first Christmas trees in America. As the custom grew in popularity, so did the state's Christmas tree industry.

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