http://www.newjerseynewsroom.com/style/new-jerseys-grand-champion-christmas-tree-hails-from-mendham

New Jersey has an extraordinary Christmas tree of its own … and it is tucked away in the heart of Mendham, New Jersey, at the end of West Field Road.

Just ask Christian Nicholson.

Four months ago, Christian Nicholson was preparing for the third holiday season at Hidden Pond Christmas Tree Farm. While pruning the acres of Christmas trees, one special spruce tree caught his eye. It stood tall on a strong, straight trunk. Its lush boughs were beautifully shaped. The tree top was perfectly poised awaiting a Christmas star. Impulsively, he harvested that tree, which was grown from a seedling, and brought it to the N.J .State Fairgrounds in Sussex N.J for the annual N.J. Christmas Tree Growers Association tree competition.

The tree was judged by a panel of experts to be the best in class and the overall Grand Champion in this year’s competition.

The start of it all

Hidden Pond Christmas Tree Farm constitutes nearly 50 acres where miles of a variety of trees are growing in various stages of maturity in straight, manicured rows.

In 2000 Nicholson and Suzanne deNeufville collaborated to develop the land to fulfill its potential for productivity with a positive impact on the environment. They designed a plan to clear the land and revive the decaying pond overgrown with years of neglect in order to irrigate the fields. A nursery with a variety of trees would be planted for future sales.

Part of their plan was to plant spruce trees from seedlings into pots. The potted trees would gradually be transplanted to the fields where they would be fertilized, pruned and cultivated for seven to ten years. These seedlings were destined to be harvested at Christmas time to preserve the tradition of gracing homes with live Christmas trees and replenishing the environment. All of the trees are grown without the use of pesticides or chemicals, in order to preserve our most precious resource, mother earth.

— ANDY LAGOMARSINO, NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM