Hurricane Helene
Hurricane Helene hit western North Carolina on Friday, September 27th, 2024. The extent of the devastation in our community and across the region is staggering. Our mountainous topography, the abundance of streams and rivers, and the days of rain before Helene made us particularly vulnerable to mass flooding, mudslides, and high winds. It has also made rescue and recovery challenging as well. Luckily, Hart-T-Tree Farms was spared any damage, but we cannot say the same for our neighbors.
To support our community, we are donating a portion of our proceeds this season to community recovery efforts. We plan to support local agencies as well as small businesses and individuals.
Your purchase of a Hart-T-Tree Farms Christmas tree this season will help support our community. If you would like to do more, we have a list of local organizations and causes below that you can donate to.
Places to Donate
Thank you to everyone who has reached out with well wishes and offers of assistance. Here are some places you can donate to help our local community.
Non Profit 501(c)(3):
The Ashe County Chamber of Commerce Ashe County Advantage Project
Samaritan’s Purse
https://www.samaritanspurse.org
Lansing NC Recovery
The main street in our neighboring community of Lansing, North Carolina was flooded and all of the small businesses had 6’ of water damage. This website lists a variety of organizations and small businesses in Lansing that need help.
Buy a Real Tree this Christmas!
And then, of course, something close to our heart - you can tell your friends and family near and far that purchasing a real Christmas tree this holiday season – wherever it comes from – helps western North Carolina farmers! Our biggest competitor is artificial trees – and they have an unfair advantage since they go into the stores long before real trees do. The purchase of a real tree, whether from North Carolina or not, keeps our industry strong. In Ashe County, agriculture is the number one industry – and the #1 crop is Christmas trees. There are over 100 Christmas tree farms in Ashe, so Christmas trees are a crucial part of our local economy.
Our very own Carrie McClain is President of the Ashe County Christmas Tree Association. Below is a hurricane disaster statement she wrote on behalf of all the Christmas tree farmers in Ashe County, North Carolina.
Hello all, as many of you know, our mountain community was devastated by Hurricane Helene. The devastation is as bad as the images and pictures you've seen. Ashe County and our western North Carolina neighbors need your help and prayers.
Our community is devastated and the suffering is beyond comprehension. And yet, one of the things I will remember most about this moment in our history is the way the people of Ashe County have shown up to help one another. With all of the division and mudslinging we see on the news these days, it's easy to believe that we live in a hate-filled world with neighbor pitted against neighbor. But that's not what I see in Ashe County. What I see is a community that is generous, kind, compassionate, dedicated, strong, resilient, and ready to come to the aid of their neighbor, whoever they are.
And it's not just the people of Ashe. There are people here from across the state and around the country. People who have sent supplies, worked to restore our power lines, cleared trees, volunteered to do wellness checks, etc. When something like this happens and you see how people respond, how can we believe we live in a hate-filled world? Maybe, just maybe, this moment will inspire us to see one another differently. That the good in us far outweighs the bad.
Our Christmas tree farms have weathered the storm, the Christmas trees are fine. For the most part, our farmers and our workers are ok too. They have been out in the community helping those that need it most. If you look close, you will see men and women wearing T-shirts from the many Christmas tree farms throughout the county.
We have a long way to go as a community, but we have every confidence that in November, we will welcome our faithful friends to our local Choose & Cuts and our wholesale Christmas trees will be on their way down the mountain, ready to help families around the country celebrate the merriest season of all! Tell your friends that they can support western North Carolina farmers by buying a real Christmas tree this season. Preferably a North Carolina Fraser fir, but any real tree helps support what we dedicate our lives to do!
Christmas trees are a symbol of hope and eternal life, green in the barren winter landscape, a light in the darkness. To our neighbors, if you start to lose hope – take a look at one of the many Christmas trees that dot our mountain landscapes and remember what they stand for. God is here, He is with us and He says, "Just watch what I can do in the darkness."
Carrie McClain
Ashe County Christmas Tree Association on October 1st, 2024