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Cornett-Deal Christmas Tree Farm Featured in National Media Campaign
sharpened the tools. Undereople all over the counneath the millhouse, and utitry will learn about the lizing the same water wheel, Cornett-Deal Christwas a sawmill to cut lummas Tree Farm, located in the ber. In the same valley was Mountain Dale community a blacksmith shop. Over the of Watauga County, because years, they harvested timbers of a national media campaign and used the cleared fields to being produced by the Christplant tobacco and corn and mas Tree Promotion Board. then family gardens. In September, a video Today, he said the Christcrew visited five farms in the mas trees provide the ability United States: one in Illinois, to maintain the property as Washington, New York and farmland instead of developtwo in North Carolina, Cline ing the land with an onslaught Church Nursery in Fleetof townhouses, condos and wood and Cornett’s Carolina The Cornett-Deal Christmas Tree Farm is located in the Mountain Dale Trees in Watauga. community. Diane Deal runs the choose-and-cut operation, while her brother, summer homes. “We keep the beauty of the This campaign is focused Dale, (shown) runs the wholesale operation, Cornett’s Carolina Trees. mountains in tact,” Dale said. at reaching millennials “Once developed, it can never through social media. The be reclaimed as farmland. Part Christmas Tree Promotion of the reason people come to Board is funded through the these mountains is the beauty federal commodity checkoff of the hillsides.” program, and the goal of Both Dale and Diane said the board is to promote the that being able to work with fresh-cut industry over artififamily is among the highlights cial trees. of working the Cornett-Deal The land of the CornettChristmas Tree Farm. “We Deal Christmas Tree farm has are looking at four soon to been in the Cornett family for be five generations that have generations. Diane Cornett been involved in the ChristDeal purchased a farm that mas tree industry,” Diane had originally been owned said. “The fifth-generation by her ancestors. Her greatbaby has not been born yet, great-grandfather, Jack Corbut he’s on the way” nett, settled in the Mountain tion, Cornett’s Christmas Trees. Along Dale also mentioned the Dale community at the turn with his family land, Dale leases land ability to work outdoors and the renewable of the century. In 1979, Diane’s father, Clint, planted from nine other farms, about 100 acres in nature of farming as to what he enjoys about the first Christmas trees on family land. all, to harvest 12,000 wholesale Christ- working in the Christmas tree industry.. “It’s a sustainable, renewable product Since then, several generations of the mas trees each year. “We’ve lived in this one valley for gen- that can continue for generations,” Dale Cornett family has been involved in the erations,” Dale said, describing the area said. Christmas tree industry. For more information, contact the Diane operates the choose-and-cut over the years as a self-sustaining mounCornett-Deal Christmas Tree Farm at 828farm, complete with hayrides, a craft tain community. He noted years ago, there was a mill- 964-6322 or click to www.cornettcarolishop, hot chocolate and tree bundling/ house where the corn, buckwheat and natrees.com. loading, while Dale Cornett, Diane’s wheat were ground. A grinding wheel By Jesse Wood brother, operates the wholesale opera14
High Country Magazine
October / November 2017