Ga. Christmas tree farmers give 'trees to troops'

NICHOLSON - It's just about time to haul out the tinsel for Christmas, and a number of tree farms in north Georgia are once again participating in Trees for Troops, an effort that provides real Christmas trees for service members.

Greg Smith operates 7 G's Farms in Jackson County and he estimates his farm alone has given more than 1,000 trees to military families since they started participating in 2005.

"Many of our customers come in not only to purchase their own tree but they just feel like to help out, they will sponsor one of these trees to go to an active military family," said Smith.

Smith said he joined the nationwide program as a way to honor his father Roy Neal Smith, a World War II veteran who missed Christmas 1944 while missing in action during his tour of duty.

"[The trees]are not only going to regular, active Army bases, but also to our Georgia National Guard bases," said Smith. "Kinsey Family Farms [in Forsyth Coounty] is actually supplying a Ranger battalion out of Dahlonega, so there's a lot of different units receiving trees."

Nationally, the effort should supply about 140,000 trees to military families.

Smith said the first trees for the 2013 program were loaded in Indiana to be shipped to military units serving overseas.

He says other trees will be loaded December 4-6, so anyone who wants to participate should make a donation in the next couple of weeks.

Greg Smith was a guest on WDUN's Bill & Joel Morning Show on Tuesday, November 19.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2013/11/268036