- Korson’s Tree Farm of Sidney, in Montcalm County, supplied the White House with an 18-foot concolor fir
- It is the first Michigan tree displayed there since 1985, honoring Gold Star families
- Owner Rex Korson described months of preparation, the judging process and their plans to return to D.C. to see the tree in person
For the Korsons, Christmas tree farming began as a family tradition in rural Michigan, grew into a business and has now taken them all the way to the White House.
After years of entering national contests, one of the Montcalm County family’s concolor fir trees now stands in the White House Blue Room, the first Michigan-grown tree to do so in 40 years.
Korson’s Tree Farms was named grand champion grower by the National Christmas Tree Association for a blue spruce. As the winner, the farm sent an 18-foot concolor fir tree to the White House Blue Room for holiday display.
The Korson family celebrated the milestone in Washington last week, when the tree arrived from Sidney, Michigan. First Lady Melania Trump greeted it at the White House, calling it “a beautiful tree.”
The Korsons have been invited to return later this month to see the tree again, as decorated under the first lady’s Christmas theme: “Home is where the heart is,” reflecting the “heartfelt character of America.”
The massive tree was adorned with gold stars — commemorating Gold Star families with loved ones who died during military service — and ornaments representing the official bird and flower of every U.S. state and territory.
This is the first time a Michigan Tree has been in the White House since 1985. But the Korson family is no stranger to presidential honors.
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In 2015, the farm won the second reserve championship in the National Christmas Tree Association’s contest and gifted an 11-foot Fraser fir to then-Vice President Joe Biden.
Bridge Michigan spoke with Rex Korson about winning the National Christmas Tree Association contest and having one of his trees featured in the White House. Questions and answers were edited for clarity.
Bridge: How did you prepare for the national contest and what went into choosing the tree you ultimately entered?
Korson: This summer in advance of the National Christmas Tree Association’s summer meeting, we qualified by placing in the top two of our state contest the prior year.
We spent a fair amount of time in our fields looking at trees that we felt like had the characteristics that could possibly win the contest. So in advance of that contest in July, we selected the tree and entered the contest and were fortunate enough to go through the judging process and come out as the top scoring spruce.
How did you react when you found out your farm won the contest?
It was pretty surreal, really. We’ve entered trees six times. We won the reserve grand champion tree in 2015. So to come close and then to finally reach that goal and have it be the first time that a Michigan tree has won the contest in 40 years, it was pretty special for us.
Why was the tree you entered for the contest different from the tree that was sent to the White House?
The contest is at the end of July and a tree cut for that contest in July would never hold up long enough to be able to be displayed during the Christmas season. The trees that are entered in the contest are solely for the purpose of being judged for that contest.
Towards the end of September, the White House sent the superintendent of grounds and another member of the White House staff to look at the trees that we have identified here on the farm, which we know meet the specs as far as the size, the width and the quality of the tree that they’re after.
What were your first thoughts when you saw the tree decorated?
It looks amazing. I’m very happy. I’ve seen some of the decorations of the Blue Room tree in the past and you know, everybody obviously likes something different. But this one features and recognizes Gold Star families.
I’m very happy that we’re able to help recognize some of the sacrifices that have been made by our service men and women in the past. It’s hard to describe how that makes you feel.
What was it like to watch your tree make its formal arrival at the White House?
We presented the tree a week ago and at that point, that’s when it got brought up to the front of the White House, to the North Portico. It gets brought up on a horse-drawn carriage and that’s when the First Lady receives the tree.
We actually haven’t seen the tree yet outside of pictures … but we’ll be returning to DC in a couple of weeks. We’ve been invited to go back and we’re going to take a few of our key employees who are really instrumental in what we do here at the farm.
How long did it take for you to grow the 18-foot concolor fir?
The trees that we plant are typically three to four years old, and they’re only about a foot tall. To get those trees to a harvestable size, even for the normal home, is, you know, a seven-to eight-year process.
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