Farm Market Report for December 6, 2016
Keith Helmuth

Sometimes good things happen in unforeseen ways. This is the first year the Woodstock Farm and Craft Market has put up a Christmas Tree as part of its holiday decorations. The initiative came from Pam Burpee who heads up the Market’s promotion committee. She drafted her husband, Randy, into the effort with the idea of installing a Christmas Tree on top of the Market’s new pergola.

The Board all agreed that would be good location. The tree would be seen from lower Main Street, all across the Meduxnekeag River bridge, and into the Town Square. But when Randy climbed up on the pergola ready to install the tree, a good breeze was blowing down the Meduxnekeag and it soon became apparent that securely anchoring a tree in this location would take some heavy-duty engineering.

There is frequently a breeze coming down the river and often a good stiff wind. The tree would have to either be anchored with an elaborate system of guy wires or in some way attached to the building. Either way the prospects for a tree on the pergola did not look good. Wisdom and common sense prevailed. Pam and Randy installed the nicely decorated tree on the Market’s ample veranda just to the left of the front door.

Then a surprising thing happened; some unknown person hung a pair of wool mittens on the tree. Then a pair of wool knit gloves appeared and Pam said, “It looks like we have a Mitten Tree. Let’s spread the word that folks who have extra mittens can hang them on the Farm Market Christmas tree, and folks who may need mittens can come and pick up a pair.”

 The Farm and Craft market is certainly the best place in the Valley to find a great variety of wool knit mittens for sale. Maybe some generous souls will even buy an extra pair to hang on the Mitten Tree.

This idea goes along with the Christmas Spirit Box in the Market where vendors and customers are leaving items that will help the Food Bank provide a little extra to their clients over the Holiday.

It seems like wherever cooperation and good will are prominent, new ideas for community support like the Mitten Tree pop up. Even small gestures like this remind us to be thankful for the place where we live.

The Market is open six a week. Val Flewelling’s Friday sausage and burger BBQ will run until Christmas. The Market will be open until 4PM on Christmas Eve Day.