Staff Photo by Lesley Onstott Chad Reese, owner of Reese Family Christmas Tree Farm in Calhoun, Tenn., shears a tree on his farm Thursday. The upkeep of nearly 10,000 trees on the 10 acres is extensive for one month of sales said Mr. Reese.

The temperature hovered in the low 90s outside the Chattanooga Convention Center, but inside it was the middle of winter.

While Christmas is still four months away, live Christmas trees spread their piney scent inside the center on Thursday.

"This is our tree contest and members from around the United States come and see who can win the contest," said National Christmas Tree Association President Mark Steelhammer.

The winner of the contest provides the White House with its Christmas tree this year.

The Christmas tree contest is one of the highlights of the annual National Christmas Tree Association Convention and Trade Show, which is in town from Wednesday through Saturday.

While bragging rights go along with the contest, the convention is serious at its wooden core. About 450 members of the national association were at the convention and about 70 vendors set up exhibits that included fertilizer companies, seedling companies, retailers for chainsaws, herbicides and tree netting, said National Christmas Tree Association spokesman Rick Dungey.

The convention brings together farmers and suppliers from all over the country together, hoping to grow the industry and allow the farmers to learn from each other, Mr. Dungey said.

"This is a way that the Christmas tree farmers can network amongst themselves," said Dan Raulston, a Christmas tree farmer from Walker County.

One of the main messages the association is trying to broadcast is that people should purchase a real farm-grown Christmas tree for their home.

The Christmas tree industry has faced many obstacles in recent years, including proliferation of fake trees, people cutting back on spending money for large, fresh-cut trees and attacks from environmentalists, members from the convention said.

But the Christmas tree industry has a big impact on the economy in agriculture, said Simon Smith, a tree farmer from Laurel Bloomery, Tenn., and volunteer with the Tennessee Christmas Tree Growers Association.

"A lot goes into (tree farming)," Mr. Smith said. "It takes seven or eight years for (the trees) to grow."

While critics complain that the Christmas tree industry cuts down living trees, the process is actually "a very green cycle," said Gordon Hunter, a farmer from and Milton, Ga., and a member of the Georgia Christmas Tree Association

"After we're finished, the trees are chipped up for mulch," he said.

About 30 million trees are sold around the United States each year, Mr. Steelhammer said.

Exhibitors at the convention represent states all over the country from California to Indiana.

Jerry Marchese, an exhibitor of Christmas tree netting from Chicago, said he was at the convention for his distributors and to show his support for the industry.

"Think about what (the trees) add to the environment," Mr. Marchese said. "The (farmers) deserve a lot of credit."