AUBURN, Pa. — A tree grown on a farm in Schuylkill County will grace the White House for the holiday season this year, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture announced Monday.
Deputy Secretary Fred Strathmeyer Jr. joined White House Executive Usher Robert Downing and officials from the National Christmas Tree Association Monday at Shealer's Evergreen Acres Tree Farm in Auburn to select the tree, the department said in a press release.
The farm, owned by Paul and Pam Shealer, won the 2020 PA Farm Show Christmas Tree Competition and went on become 2022 Grand Champion at the National Christmas Tree Association’s National Tree and Wreath Contest.
“Pennsylvania growers produce one million of the nation’s most impressive Christmas trees every year,” Strathmeyer said. “We’re proud to showcase our finest growers at the PA Farm Show each January.
"We’re even prouder that a Shealer tree will represent our commonwealth and focus the eyes of the nation on world-class PA-grown product during the holidays.”
An Evergreen Acres tree was selected for the Clinton White House after the Shealer family won the Pennsylvania and national contests in 2000, the department said. Evergreen Acres was again selected Grand Champion at the 2022 PA Farm Show with a Nordmann Fir.
“We were thrilled to win Grand Champion and are even more excited that Evergreen Acres will provide the White House’s official Christmas tree,” said the senior Paul Shealer, who recently passed the business to his son Paul. “Evergreen Acres takes great pride in its trees every year, and it seems this year, as my son, Paul, and his wife, Pam, begin guiding the farm we can stand even taller!”
With more than 1,400 Christmas tree farms across the state, Pennsylvania ranks third in the nation. These tree farms cover nearly 31,000 acres and produce about one million cut trees each year. They are a renewable and recyclable resource.
With $1.9 million in sales, Schuylkill County ranked 4th in the state among 64 counties with tree farms and 25th in the U.S.
Learn more about Pennsylvania’s $132.5 billion agriculture industry at agriculture.pa.gov and the Pennsylvania Farm Show at farmshow.pa.gov.
