MASON, Mich — The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is spreading holiday cheer to military families across the country through its annual Trees for Troops program.
- Michigan is sending over 250 Christmas trees to military families nationwide through the Trees for Troops program.
- The initiative partners the Michigan Department of Agriculture with Tannenbaum Farms and FedEx for delivery.
- Air Force veteran Tyler Baird hopes the trees help service members far from home feel connected during the holidays.
Tyler Baird, a Michigan native who served in the U.S. Air Force for 10 years, understands the importance of feeling connected to home during the holidays. After spending 12 years moving around the globe, "I was disconnected from a sense of place," Baird said.
WATCH BELOW: Trees for Troops delivers Michigan Christmas trees to service members nationwide
This holiday season, Baird wanted to share a piece of his home state with fellow service members through the Trees for Troops initiative.
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development partnered with Tannenbaum Farms in Mason to make the program possible. Tim Boring, director of the department, said the annual Trees for Troops event is a longstanding effort providing military families across the country with Christmas trees.
The program relies on donations and support from FedEx to deliver real Christmas trees to families nationwide.
"It's an appreciation for what troops are doing on a daily basis and it's a great way to share a little bit of Michigan agriculture here for the holidays," Boring said.
Jason Buher, owner of Tannenbaum Farms, said the mission holds special meaning because the farm's founder was a veteran.
"We've had three farms that brought trees to us this year besides from what we had so we're going to be able to send a little over 250 trees to military families," Buher said.
Baird hopes families receiving trees this year will experience that same feeling of home he cherishes.
"Having a little reminder of times in your life when you had a lot of family around can be really important for those service members that are far away from their loved ones," Baird said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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