Trees for Troops 2020
The Christmas Spirit Foundation reported that FedEx will be delivering trees to 79 bases and stations that have requested nearly 20,000 trees. ICTGA board member Lance Sambol was the 2020 Trees for Troops state coordinator for two pickup locations in Indiana.
Piney Acres Farm and Hensler Nursery have served as Trees for Troops drop-off locations for the past 10 years. This year Rex and Janice Zenor agreed to serve as the FedEx pickup location for the central Indiana area and Joe Hensler and Scott Heeren provided a second FedEx pickup location at Hensler Nursery near Hamlet in the north central part of the state.
Indiana Statehouse Trees
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! On Tuesday, December 1, 2020, members of the Indiana Christmas Tree Growers Association presented Statehouse officials with real Christmas trees. The annual program places fresh, Indiana grown trees in the Capitol rotunda, the Governor's office, and several other department offices.
This year, fourteen trees were donated by eleven Indiana Christmas tree farms. This year marks the 61st year that Indiana Christmas tree growers have brought Christmas trees to the Statehouse. The rotunda, Governor's office, and other state offices were transformed into a beautiful winter wonderland for all to enjoy!
NCTA Recommendations
It is likely that Christmas will have a greater significance for many in 2020 as we seek to offset the disruption of normalcy from COVID-19 with a family-oriented holiday experience. However, shopping for a Christmas tree, the iconic centerpiece of the holiday, will be a different experience this year as the risks from COVID-19 must be taken seriously.
The National Christmas Tree Association appointed two committees to develop best practice recommendations—one for tree lot operators and one for choose & cut farms. Their recommendations can be found at NCTA's COVID-19 Best Practices Recommendations.
