If you’re a fan of RFD-TV’s Where the Food Comes From, you might recall visiting Larry Smith’s idyllic Christmas Tree farm in rural North Carolina. This year, in preparation for the holiday season, we are taking a look back at that great episode from Season Two, which explores where our Christmas trees come from! Along with the encore re-airings of the episode on RFD-TV, show host Chip Carter and his team dug through their archives to provide a host of new bonus content and a behind-the-scenes look to enjoy!
Larry’s Tree Redux
Travels With Larry Smith — A Behind-The-Scenes Prequel
Written by Donna Sanders, WTFCF Producer
Sometimes a “Behind The Scenes” can take a very different turn. In this case, it was a trip to Newland, North Carolina. You see, this is where Larry Smith, a Christmas tree farmer, lives. You met Larry in 2018 during our RFD-TV Christmas Special: Larry’s Tree – A Journey to the Whitehouse, which will be rereleased around the world on multiple Networks this Christmas (more news to come). And you have seen him many times in other episodes. But you have never heard these tales of mountains, moonshiners and bluegrass music told outside of this part of the world.
First, let me give you my unofficial opinion of Larry. When I first met Larry years ago, long after he and Chip had become friends, he asked me, “What do you think of me?” My answer was simple: “You are a hoot.” At the end of that first visit, he asked me the same question – my answer: “Still a hoot.”
And that’s still my answer.
To read the rest of WTFCF Producer Donna Sanders’ behind-the-scenes look at this episode & access tons more bonus content, CLICK HERE.
If you read Larry’s Tree Redux — Prequil Behind-The-Scenes: Travels With Larry Smith – you have already met some of the great people in Avery County, NC. The rest of the WTFCF crew arrived on August 8 and the actual shoot began on August 9.
The crew received such a warm welcome from Larry — It was like coming home to your own small town.
Time for a small digression. Remember, in my previous article Travels With Larry, I mentioned Chip and I went up on August 5 to spend some quality time with Larry? What I did not tell you was the house was not air-conditioned. Coming from Tampa, FL this was a No Bueno. To my surprise, it worked out just fine. Larry’s house is so far up the mountain that it was a little cool and a couple of floor fans were all that was needed to keep things comfortable. Digression over – time for the interviews.
The first interview was between Larry Smith and Rusty Estes, owner of Peak Farms. Talk about a long history together. They discussed when they were in high school they worked for a Christmas Tree farmer and worked their butts off. It was this that made both of them decide to go into Christmas tree farming. In my opinion, what is even cooler is they have remained lifelong friends and have had some very interesting experiences together. One is blue tuxes, which you’ll hear about in the episode.
For an additional behind-the-scenes look at the WTFCF team’s visit to Larry’s tree farm, CLICK HERE to find out what landed Chip in — and out — of jail!
