Upstate NY Farm Sending Special Xmas Gift to Troops Across US & Overseas

Sometimes it is the little things that mean the most to our troops overseas. And while so many of our brave men and women won't make it home for the holidays, one Upstate New York farm made sure a small but powerful piece of Christmas found its way to them.

On December 1st, members of the New York Army National Guard gathered at Ellms Tree Farm in Ballston Spa for something that had become a tradition with a lot of heart: the Trees for Troops program.

The mission was simple but meaningful. Volunteers came together to load about 125 Christmas trees that would soon be shipped out to military bases across the country and around the world.

It wasn’t just one group lending a hand, either. People from all corners of the military community stepped in, including members of the Air National Guard, the New York Army, and plenty of Capital Region families and friends.

Everyone showed up with the same goal in mind: to send a little comfort, a little home, and a little holiday spirit to those serving far away.

Ellms Tree Farm had been part of this effort since 2005, and this year marked the twenty-first year of the Trees for Troops program. The scale of it was incredible.

In 2024 alone, more than sixteen thousand trees were picked up from fifty one different locations and delivered to ninety-three military bases across all five branches of service.

This year’s deliveries were headed to places like Fort Drum, West Point, the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, the U.S. Coast Guard Sector in New York City, and dozens more bases nationwide.

Since it all began, Trees for Troops has delivered more than three hundred twenty-six thousand Christmas trees to service members and their families. Each one was a reminder that no matter where they were stationed, they weren’t forgotten, especially during the holidays.