The South Bend Tribune

Story by Stan Maddux Tribune Correspondent

Particularly helpful was a rainy August, the most critical time of year for trees to receive ample water heading into the dormant winter season, Joe Hensler of Hensler Nursery in Hamlet said.

“We had what you would call the perfect growing season,” said Joe, whose father, John, owns the property that contains 300 acres of trees.

Hensler Nursery last week provided a 9-foot tall Fraser fir to Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann and nearly a dozen similar sized trees for around the rotunda at the Indiana Statehouse.

“We’re proud to be able to do that for our officials down there,” Joe Hensler said.

Read the full article on the South Bend Tribune website.

Hensler Nursery and Trees for Troops Brings Military Families Together in the True Spirit of Christmas

• John Hensler
• Phone: 574-867-4192
• Fax: 574-867-4960
• Email: Info@henslernurseryindiana.com
• View PDF Version

Hamlet, Indiana, November 11, 2014 – Hensler Nursery is donating farm-grown Christmas Trees to U.S. troops and military families through Trees for Troops®, a nationwide program of the Christmas SPIRIT Foundation in conjunction with the National Christmas Tree Association, the Indiana Christmas Tree Growers Association, and FedEx.

Last holiday season, more than 17,000 trees were delivered to 65 military bases in the U.S. and overseas. This brought the total to more than 139,000 Real Christmas Trees delivered through Trees for Troops since 2005.

Hensler Nursery is donating 30 White Pine and 10 Fraser Fir farm-grown Christmas trees. They will be delivered to the shipping point in Thornton, Indiana and disbursed to military bases and families nationally and internationally.

For 2014, Indiana growers are coming together to provide 182 total trees for this effort.

“We have been a proud participant of the Trees for Troops program since it began, making this our 10th year to support this great cause,” says Joe Hensler of Hensler Nursery. “Bringing real Christmas trees to the troops and families protecting America just seems like the right thing to do.”

Each year, hundreds of military families visit the Trees for Troops website and Facebook page to leave heartfelt thank you messages and pictures of their families celebrating around their beautifully decorated Christmas tree. For example, a message from a Camp Pendleton family read, “Thank you for our beautiful Christmas tree! We weren’t sure what we were going to do this year…Trees for Troops was an answer to our prayers.”

“Being involved with Trees for Troops is truly a gift that gives back,” said Nigel Manley, Christmas SPIRIT Foundation chairman. “It’s rewarding and meaningful to everyone involved, because it gives us the opportunity to say thank you to our troops, and help ensure military families have the kind of joyful, traditional Christmas memories that we would wish for America’s heroes.”

You can help support Trees for Troops by making a tax-deductible donation (www.treesfortroops.org) or by purchasing a Christmas tree at various farm & retail locations across the nation during Trees for Troops Weekend, Dec. 5-7, 2014.

About Hensler Nursery

For over sixty years, Hensler Nursery, Inc. has been growing high quality seedlings, transplants, and Christmas trees. A combination of fertile soils, a mild climate and expert foresters result in high-quality nursery plants and Christmas trees. Well-known in the industry for our seedlings and transplants, we also raise Scotch Pine, White Pine and Fraser Fir for wholesale and retail.
Visit our web site.

About Trees for Troops and the Christmas SPIRIT Foundation

The Christmas SPIRIT Foundation is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable organization that works to recognize and support the true spirit of Christmas for U.S. troops through the Trees for Troops® program. The foundation was established in 2005 as the charitable branch of the National Christmas Tree Association and is among fewer than 5 percent of U.S. charities to be awarded the “Best in America” seal of excellence by Independent Charities of America. Trees for Troops was a Top 20 Finalist in the 2012 Joining Forces Campaign, a White House initiative that honors exemplary support organizations for military families. To learn more, visit www.treesfortroops.org or call 636/449-5060.

About FedEx

FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) provides customers and businesses worldwide with a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services. With annual revenues of $46 billion, the company offers integrated business applications through operating companies competing collectively and managed collaboratively, under the respected FedEx brand. Consistently ranked among the world’s most admired and trusted employers, FedEx inspires its more than 300,000 team members to remain “absolutely, positively” focused on safety, the highest ethical and professional standards and the needs of their customers and communities. For more information, visit news.fedex.com.

Story featured on WKVI, Knox, IN

by Anita Goodan

“A 26-foot Concolor Fir growing at Hensler Nursery in Hamlet will be cut down for Indiana’s Statehouse Rotunda tomorrow morning at 10 a.m.

This tree will be placed on a trailer for transport to Indianapolis and will be on display at Hensler’s over the weekend. The tree will be presented to the Governor on Wednesday, Dec. 12 in the Governor’s office at 9 a.m. ET.

Hensler Nursery has provided Indiana’s Statehouse Christmas tree for the past 25 years.

Hensler’s Statehouse tree will not be the only tree headed to Indianapolis. An eight foot Fir tree will be cut down, transported and placed in the Lt. Governor’s office. This is part of a larger project conducted by the Indiana’s Christmas Tree Growers Association to bring fresh live Christmas trees to the heart of Indiana’s government.

Indiana’s growers will be providing fresh trees to the Governor, the Department of Education, Department of Forestry, Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Agriculture.”

Read the full story on WKVI’s website.