It’s a good sign that the holidays are right around the corner when it’s time to cut down the White House Christmas tree.

And this year, for the fourth time since 2010, the tree will come from Crystal Spring Tree Farm in Mahoning Township.The Botek family, owners of Crystal Spring, are experts at growing the massive fir trees that the White House staff needs to adorn the Blue Room. Grower Chris Botek said having the honor of providing the tree doesn’t get old.“This is the gold medal,” Chris Botek said. “Anybody that enters the competition, this is what we strive for.”It’s a tradition that was started by Jackie Kennedy — an official White House Christmas tree in the Blue Room. The first family actually has their own 12-foot tree in their residence.According to the tradition, the tree is supposed to be supplied by the winner of the annual National Christmas Tree Contest, organized by the National Christmas Tree Association.But the criteria that the tree must meet are very specific — a minimum height of 18 feet, 6 inches, a minimum width of 12 feet, and an even appearance on all sides. The winner can’t always meet the criteria.This year’s contest winner, a Wisconsin farm, was unable to provide a tree. The White House needed an 18-plus-foot tree, and they knew they could count on Crystal Spring.“When you get a phone call that’s unknown, and they say ‘It’s the White House,’ that’s pretty cool,” Botek said.White House officials visited the farm a few weeks ago and selected one of about six trees that fit the bill, Botek said. It’s a 19-year-old Douglas fir tree.He’ll deliver the tree to Washington, where it will be placed on a horse-drawn carriage for an official presentation. The grower who won the national contest will get that honor, something that Botek doesn’t mind.“To get National Champion is a real feat,” he said. “He must be quite a grower.”Crystal Spring has won the National Championship three times — 2006, 2010 and 2014. It’s given the farm a reputation for large, high-quality trees. This is actually the second time that the White House has turned to them when the champion couldn’t provide a suitable tree.This year, they will also be providing 19-footers for the Capitol Rotunda in Harrisburg, as well as a mall in the Philadelphia area.And there’s a chance that a Crystal Spring tree could be headed to the White House again next year. By winning the blue ribbon at the 2016 Pennsylvania Farm Show, Botek is entered into the 2016 National Christmas Tree Contest.