Growing Minnesota's Real Christmas Tree Industries
The Minnesota Christmas Tree Association is a nonprofit organization that promotes real Christmas trees and related industries by educating growers, improving tree quality, creating community, and connecting consumers to growers.
Find the Perfect Tree
The Minnesota Christmas Tree Association can help you learn about trees types, find your perfect tree, guide you in tree care, and assure you that celebrating the holidays with a real Christmas tree truly benefits the environment.
Why Buy a Real Tree?
Did you know that real trees are actually better for the environment? The sustainable nature of most small-scale Christmas tree farms makes buying real trees an ethical, environmentally-friendly choice.
State Fair Showcase
The Minnesota Christmas Tree Growers Association is proud to showcase their MN Grown products each year at the MN State Fair. We have been competing in the Christmas Tree division in the Agriculture Horticulture (AGHORTBEE) Building since 1966!
For Tree Growers & Suppliers
MNCTA Summer Meeting 2026
September 25-26, 2026
Plant’s Beautiful Nursery, Parkers Prairie, MN
The father of now owner, Lowell Dittberner, purchased a 250-acre farm for hunting in west central Minnesota 60 years ago. In 1967, he began planting Christmas trees . The Dittberner family opened the farm to the public in the 1980’s as a Choose & Cut Christmas Tree Farm. Over the years, they found new ways to create a full holiday destination for local families including their famous horse-drawn sleigh rides through the woods.
Join us at this first-ever convention site for the Minnesota Christmas Tree Association’s Summer Convention. Over the course of two days, Lowell and his son, Forest, will take us on the journey of the farm’s history as well as in depth tours of their tree fields, the gift shop, including the dedicated Santa Claus room and their wreath and garland making barn. We will visit both their Choose & Cut Farm as well as their White Oaks Farm where we’ll see unique equipment that we don’t normally see every day. They’ll teach us about a deer management program that actually works and doesn’t include expensive fencing and we’ll learn about the backbone of their business that started as a side venture, but is now 75% of their operation.
You won’t want to miss this one! The Dittberner family has so many unique and different pieces that make up their farm puzzle. This is an exciting opportunity for all of us – from new growers to former growers and everyone in between. We will all take a new piece of knowledge home with us!
Click the button below for more information and to register your attendance.
Become a Member
If you grow Christmas trees, are thinking about starting a farm, or otherwise are involved in the Christmas tree industry, MNCTA may be a good fit for you.
Our organization fosters community, information exchange, education, and more for people working in the real Christmas tree business.
Trade Show Exhibitors Wanted
If you have a product or service that you’d like to market to Minnesota Christmas Tree Growers, here is your opportunity to network and display your products at our semi-annual conventions. Reservations for our next meeting are due soon.
For more information please email [email protected] or contact Ann Marie Theien, MNCTA Executive Director (218-606-0386).
2027 MNCTA Winter Convention
- When: April 2-3, 2027
- Location: Braham Event Center
655 8th St SW
Braham, MN 55006 - More information coming soon!
Trees for troops
MNCTA members have proudly contributed trees to Trees for Troops since 2005, when the program was founded. To date, Trees for Troops has distributed more than 300,000 Christmas trees to military families! If you’d like to donate a tree, please contact your local Christmas Tree Farm.
