Christmas tree from Oconto tree farm will serve as the official White House Christmas tree

OCONTO -- A Christmas tree from Wisconsin will be headed to Washington D.C. to serve as the official White House Christmas Tree.

Staff members from the White House were in Oconto Tuesday morning, September 20th, and selected the tree that will be showcased in the White House's Blue Room this Christmas.

The tree was selected from Dave and Mary Vander Velden's Whispering Pines Tree Farm. They won the National Christmas Tree Association's biannual Christmas tree contest.

"It's a really good feeling. Something to be proud of," said Dave Vander Velden.

This is the third time that a tree farm from Wisconsin has been awarded with the honor.

The last time was in 2011, when Neenah-based Schroeder's Forevergreens provided a tree from the company's farm in Neshkoro.

Whispering Pines provided the official state Capitol Christmas tree in 2013.

It wasn't a quick decision for White House staff members, as they took their time exploring Dave and Mary Vander Velden's tree farm Tuesday -- looking for what they said needed to be right the shape, smell and color -- meeting requirements such as being between 18-19 feet tall.

Vander Velden said the tree that has received the ribbon of honor is one that is truly one-of-a-kind.

"I've been doing all experimental trees, trying all different strains varieties, trying to find the goose that laid the golden egg, and this is one of them that turned out pretty good," Vander Velden said.

The Vander Veldens will be presenting the tree to the first lady at the White House the day after Thanksgiving, and as you can imagine, it's every tree farmer's dream.

"When we won the national championship. That's like winning the Super Bowl, winning the gold medal at the Olympics. It was the best Christmas tree in the county," said Vander Velden.

This is also the 51st tree the National Christmas Tree Association has provided the White House.

And it wasn't just the tree that has made the Vander Velden farm stand out.

"They have train rides to take families out to select, and cut their own Christmas trees. They offer hot coca and they have a Santa shop," said Ann O'Connor with the National Christmas Tree Association.