The holidays are a time of "ringing in the new," and the North Carolina Christmas Tree Association is getting a head start with a new director.
Jennifer Greene has been selected to serve as executive director for the North Carolina Christmas Tree Association, which is based in Boone and represents about 400 tree growers statewide. A Watauga County native, she has a 10-year background in the local hotel and hospitality industry.
Greene is replacing Linda Gragg, who served in the capacity for eight years and is retiring to travel and spend more time with family. However, Gragg will be training Greene through November.
"We had a large number of applicants because of the economy," Gragg said. "But Jennifer's enthusiasm made her stand out. We wanted someone who was familiar with the area and would be willing to learn about the industry and be committed to it."
Greene said though her family didn't raise trees, she knew several tree farmers while growing up and has been busy meeting more. "I grew up here and that makes you appreciate it a little more," she said. "But I've only met a percentage of the growers."
She said that's the first challenge of her new position, as well as jumping in while the harvest season is about to enter full swing. With North Carolina trees shipping all across the country, and into Mexico and the Caribbean, some growers have already begun cutting, with most retail-market trees shipped by Dec. 10.
Greene will also be organizing the annual Trees For Troops campaign, expecting donations of up to 1,500 local trees. The trees are shipped for free by FedEx to troops serving overseas.
Though most tree growers are within a five-county radius, Greene plans to continue reaching out to "flatland" growers. "It's about developing relationships and letting them know we're all in it together," Greene said.
Last year, North Carolina sold about 5 million Christmas trees, creating an economic impact of $124 million. Gragg predicts similar numbers this year, though a few more trees are available this year and the rain has produced a healthy crop.
Greene and Gragg agree that the main challenge of the industry is to promote an environmental message and encourage people to buy live trees instead of artificial trees. Education and awareness will also cause more people to "buy local" as part of the agricultural economy.
"We'll continue to educate people," Greene said. "Being from here, I know some people tend to take Christmas trees for granted. So we need to get the word out there and the product out there."
Despite the challenges of the economy, Gragg said people are loyal about having a natural tree in the home for the holidays.
"I've heard people say, 'We won't have much under the tree this year, but we will have a tree because it's part of a family tradition,'" she said.
Reflecting on her tenure, Gragg said as a native she enjoyed promoting the area and meeting growers, as well as making three trips to the White House to deliver a presidential tree and eight trips to Raleigh for a tree in the governor's mansion. "We've gotten a lot of good publicity for mountain communities during that time," Gragg said.
She also pointed to the growth in the Internet as a marketing tool, with some farmers originally reluctant to rely on new technology but soon seeing the benefits.
"It's been important to have a Web site up to date and user friendly," Gragg said. "The growers were very resistant to that for a while, but our numbers of visitors have doubled and then tripled in the last few years. I feel the association has led the way in getting growers to use the Internet more and get out information about growers and the environmental benefits of live trees."
Greene said she is eager to get out the environmental message, which is that live trees are a renewable product, usually raised on family-owned farms, and that two trees are typically replanted for every one that is harvested. Tree fields also limit erosion and keep land from being developed as real estate.
Greene's first official duty will be representing the association at the annual Southern Christmas Show in Charlotte, which takes place from Nov. 10 to Nov. 23.