It’ll begin to look a lot like Christmas soon at the Wisconsin State Capitol rotunda, and for the second year in a row, an Oconto County tree farmer will be making it possible.
Dave Vander Velden had the help of the Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association on Nov. 13 as they cut down a 32-foot tree from his tree patch in the Town of How. That tree will be trimmed to between 24-26 feet to fit in the rotunda.
While he was beaming with pride at the honor, it’s actually the second time Vander Velden and his Finnegan Creek Tree Farm has supplied Christmas trees to the capitol. Vander Velden also provided the rotunda Christmas tree in 2025, as well as the tree that was placed in the governor’s mansion. This year, a tree from Rhinelander will grace the mansion.
“It’s a great honor,” Vander Velden said. “Not everyone gets to put one in there.”
The tree is expected to arrive in Madison on Nov. 18, and the lighting ceremony will take place Dec. 1.
Vander Velden is semi-retired from the tree business, but he is known for starting the Whispering Pines Tree Farm in Oconto, which he sold seven years ago.
“These trees are all grown from stumps,” Vander Velden said. “They’re a pretty good string of trees, so that’s why I kept them.”
While the tree selected is a source of pride, Vander Velden is proud of the other trees that are part of his patch. He pointed out one tree whose trunk started out crooked but is now growing straight again. Another tree is growing tall after being bunched up with other trees, which have since been cut away.
“We cut those other branches, but in 25 years, we’ll have a clone of that tree ready just like it,” Vander Velden said. “That big stump feeds one little tree and helps to mold it.”
Vander Velden got himself into tree farming as a career after working many years as a machinist. That industry saw him getting laid off a few times, so growing Christmas trees provided a little stability, a ritual he and his wife, Mary, share.
“The economy was bad, and I always wanted to grow trees,” Vander Velden said. “It started off as a hobby, and then I got carried away, and I wound up with 200 acres of trees.”
The Christmas tree industry is very important to Wisconsin, with the state being the fifth largest in the United States, according to Sarah Glitto, WCTPA executive director.
“It provides a lot of economy for our farmers,” Glitto said. “We’re harvesting over 600,000 real trees every year. For every tree that’s harvested, we plant at least two or tree in place to keep the industry going. It also helps the environment.”
Glitto noted that having a real tree in the rotunda shows the Wisconsin Department of Administration prefers having a symbol of the state’s economy shining bright for all to see.
“It’s very different from the row crops like corn and soybeans across the state that are harvested every year,” Glitto said. “These Christmas trees are sheared and cared for year after year. It’s a testament to the hard work and care that these farmers put in to grow a quality tree for your home.”
Real Christmas trees are grown to 6-8 feet for homes, and it usually takes about seven to 10 years to produce those, according to Glitto.
State Sen. Eric Wimberger was on hand to see the tree coming down and getting bundled up for its long journey. His district includes the Gillett area, which includes the Town of How.
“It’s just good to have people from the area that are dedicated to something that we recognize, and they’re getting recognized for it,” Wimberger said. “This is the second year in a row for this guy, of all places. I hope there are other trees from here in the future.”
DID YOU KNOW?
When it comes to real Christmas trees, there are a few surprising facts people may not know:
• Growing Christmas trees is a year-round occupation. While you may not be thinking of your local Christmas tree grower until December rolls around, rest assured your Christmas tree grower is thinking of you all year long. From planning the spring tree order, to clearing fields of lower branches and stumps left over from the previous season’s harvest, to planting seedlings, to the intensive shearing and shaping that take up an entire summer, a Christmas tree grower’s work never ends.
• There’s no danger of running out of trees. Real Christmas trees are produced on a farm, where they’re grown carefully to ensure a continuous supply. For every Christmas tree that is cut down, one to three new seedlings are planted, so there is no shortage of real trees supplied by a Christmas tree farm.
• Cutting down a tree can be a good thing. Managed tree growth such as is practiced at a Christmas tree farm can lead to greater soil quality, carbon sequestration, nutrient retention, and more. Strategically cutting down trees also helps maintain overall tree health by minimizing effects of insects and diseases on other trees.
• Real Christmas trees are good for the environment. Tree farms provide space and habitat for wildlife such as deer and bear; ground birds such as turkey and quail; rodents that bring in predators such as hawks and foxes; and flowering plants that help feed butterflies, bees, and other insects. Real trees also produce oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide.
Source: Wisconsin Christmas Tree Producers Association
Dan Vander Velden inspects the tree cut down Nov. 13 at his tree patch in the Town of How that will arrive later in November at the Wisconsin State Capitol rotunda to be the official Christmas tree. This is the second consecutive year one of Vander Velden’s trees has been selected for the rotunda. In 2025, one of Vander Velden’s trees also was placed in the governor’s mansion. (Lee Pulaski | NEW Media)
State Sen. Eric Wimberger, left, asks Jerry Vander Velden about the pine cones being collected from the tree cut down Nov. 13 at a tree patch in the Town of How that will grace the Wisconsin State Capitol rotunda in December. (Lee Pulaski | NEW Media)
