Endeavor farm earns fourth National Grand Champion title as the Chapman family continues a three-generation Christmas tree tradition.
ENDEAVOR, Wis. – Wisconsin’s Silent Night Evergreens has been named the 2026 NCTA National Grand Champion, earning David and Leah Chapman the honor of providing the Official White House Christmas Tree this holiday season.
The winning balsam fir adds another chapter to a Christmas tree legacy that spans three generations of the Chapman and Daggett families.
A Family Tradition Generations in the Making
Jim and Diane Chapman started Silent Night Evergreens in 1977. Today, their son David, his wife Leah and their daughters continue the family operation, growing Christmas trees on more than 300 acres near Endeavor.
The 2026 honor makes Silent Night Evergreens a four-time NCTA National Grand Champion. The farm previously won in 1998, 2003 and 2017. David’s grandparents, Irv and Alyce Daggett, were National Grand Champions in 1988, bringing the Chapman/Daggett family total to five national wins.
For David, the experience is also coming full circle. He remembers being part of the White House tree experience as a child. This year, his daughters will experience a national win and White House tree presentation for the first time as the next generation of the family takes part in the tradition.
David and Leah have continued building on the farm’s wholesale and retail history while adding their own chapter, including opening Silent Night Evergreens’ first choose-and-cut operation, which welcomes customers beginning the day after Thanksgiving.
Winning the National Tree Contest
The National Christmas Tree Contest is held biennially and brings together top growers who have first qualified through their state or regional Christmas tree associations.
Trees entered in the contest must meet specific requirements and are evaluated through a two-stage process. A panel of industry judges first scores the entries, after which registered NCTA members vote among the finalists to determine the Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion. The Grand Champion earns the honor of providing the Official White House Christmas Tree, while the Reserve Grand Champion provides a tree for the Vice President’s residence.
Wisconsin has a long history of success in the national competition. With the Chapmans’ 2026 win, Wisconsin growers have earned 10 National Grand Champion titles since 1966, placing the state among the nation’s most successful Christmas tree-growing states.
Continuing a White House Tradition
Since 1966, winners of the NCTA National Christmas Tree Contest have presented a farm-grown Christmas tree for display at the White House.
That tradition continues this fall at Silent Night Evergreens. White House Superintendent of Grounds Dale Haney will select the tree that will ultimately travel from Wisconsin to Washington, D.C.
The official 2026 White House Christmas Tree Selection Ceremony will take place Monday, September 21, at 10:00 a.m. at Silent Night Evergreens in Endeavor. Following a short program, White House representatives will consider potential trees. Potentially. the selected tree may receive its ribbon, followed by photos and interviews.
The tree will be harvested later this fall and transported to Washington before Thanksgiving for presentation at the White House. The Blue Room centerpiece traditionally approaches 20 feet in height, requiring the room’s chandelier to be removed to accommodate the tree.
For Silent Night Evergreens, the journey represents much more than one winning tree. It continues nearly five decades of Christmas tree growing and three generations of family involvement. It also puts a Wisconsin agricultural tradition back on the national stage.
From Wisconsin to Washington, the journey of the 2026 White House Christmas Tree begins in Endeavor.
Click Here to learn more about the Sept. 21 White House Christmas Tree Selection Ceremony
