033 - It's Christmas Keep It Real - Dr. Mel Koelling

We are at the beginning of Christmas season and it is time to display the Christmas Tree.Dr. Mel Koelling knows Christmas Trees.He and his wife Laurie have grown thousands of trees every year at Tannenbaum Farms in central Michigan.A nationally recognized expert in the Christmas Tree industry, Dr. Koelling taught and served in the Department of Forestry at Michigan State University for over 35 years.Tannenbaum Farms was purchased in 1977 as an extension of Dr. Koelling's professional interests and as a way to establish a college fund for his children. The first planting in 1978 covered three acres. Today, plantings cover approximately 100 acres of the 180-acre farm.I was introduced to Dr. Koelling through the fine folks at The National Christmas Tree Promotion Board. Their campaign It’s Christmas Keep It Real touch me.Christmas trees what a wonderful idea for an episode.It can take over 8 years to grow your tree so there is not really an off season on a Christmas Tree farm. We will hear right from the grower himself how to select and care for your live tree.We will also discover the story behind the first Christmas Tree and how the tradition grew.