OK I'm feeling pretty good about an accidental project

[malaise]

Year after year I watch the Rastafari and the older farmers in the hills bring down their Holiday Trees and sell them to a hungry public.
The earliest Christmas Tree planting project was promoted by Michael Manley (the Manleys had a nice home in the St Andrew hills where these pines thrive). He convinced them to replant and keep planting and they have been very successful.

Well I observed that they trim trees to please customers but weren't using the cut branches or needles. Two weeks ago I asked them to sell me a few of them as I wanted to make a holiday wreath and also wanted to chop up the 'leff leff' to make a nice pine smelling potpourri for our place. They gave me a huge bundle for J$200.

Last week I went over by them and showed them the wreath and spent some time showing the ladies and their kids how to make them. I also showed them how to package the potpourri with other available stuff.

Well I was too thrilled today to see them making money selling their wreaths and potpourri right next to their men/fathers selling the trees - the kids were very creative and even used our national colors on some of them. A few of them looked better than mine (which impressed hubby big time).

I think they'll plan this even better next year. I feel pretty good about my little project and the ladies and kids are delighted.

add.

[babylonsister]

1. Hot stuff, malaise! You created a new industry for the locals. Good for you!

:thumbsup:

[malaise]

4. At least the cut branches aren't filling up

the garbage truck (yet). :D

[lunatica]

2. You just started a whole cottage industry!

Brilliant!

[malaise]

3. We don't do Christmas

but I'm amazed that they never thought of using those cut branches to make wreaths and other decorations - damn many people bought the stupid artificial ones at ridiculous prices.

They were even selling plain ones for people to decorate themselves.

[K8-EEE]

5. Awesome! KR&R n/t

[monmouth]

6. I love, love the aroma of the pine. Good for you Malaise..n/t

[malaise]

7. Yep our place smells

fabulous and our neighbours love the wreath.

[ima_sinnic]

8. wonderful!

In 1992-93 I spent 14 months traveling around the island surveying breadfruit trees as a graduate student at UWI (this did not end very well through my own stupidity)--that was fantastic, and people were so friendly and curious. At first I lived in Kingston but then rented a little house up in Highgate--oh man, does it make me nostalgic to think of that! I also met my husband there, who came to the U.S. on a "green card" until serious health problems pretty much handicapped him and an old ganja misdemeanor was going to be used to deport him (long story that still makes me do a slow burn), after he'd been here for about 12 years.

I blame bush for breaking up our marriage with his draconian immigration laws and INS goon squad (actually, it was started by Clinton). We still talk on the phone frequently, and I want to go visit, but there simply is never enough money (actually, as still married to a Jamaican, I suppose I could go live there anytime). I do have a huge collection of reggae and sooo loved those "sounds"--back then the sounds were advertised by fabulous rainbow-colored hand-lettered posters--I will never forget being on a crowded bus literally bouncing to Cutty Ranks rapping "Wait Deh Mon" as it traversed the switchbacks on the mountain roads to St. Mary. Music and ganja smoke everywhere in the air ... those were the good ole days :cry:

The best to you in this venture!

[malaise]

10. Fascinating story

WOW - you clearly had some interesting times here.
It's not my venture - I was just the person who gave them the idea. I'll share ideas with them but I'll introduce them to people with way more expertise on these matters than me.

[Gregorian]

9. Nice. I had a similar experience this year.

A woman drove on to my property a couple of weeks ago asking if she could take bows off my redwood trees for making wreaths. I happily agreed. And she told me that she was my doctor's wife. And that she lived down the street. And that she liked living in a rural and progressive community. How cool.

So a week ago I came up from working on something, and when I got to my trailer there was this gorgeous wreath sitting on my steps. It was like a brick that weighs a ton! She really made this thing. And it was this subtle green with a little bell on it.

I put it out on the gate so whenever she drives by she'll see it.

I'm not into this time of year. Not at all. But this was really cool.

I've got a picture!

/>>

[malaise]

11. That is truly beautiful

That is way cool :hi:

[enlightenment]

12. That's fantastic, malaise! Good on you.

I'd love to see a picture of the kids' work (and yours, also, of course) - if you're in the mood.

edited for punctuation

[malaise]

13. I didn't take any pictures

Maybe in the week.

[enlightenment]

15. Oh, don't make an extra effort - I just thought you might have one

or two.

Thank you for thinking of taking them, though! :)

[driver8]

14. Now that is a great Christmas story!!

Thanks for sharing this with us -- a wonderful story!

[malaise]

18. Our electrician just left

He said he liked ours and I told him where to get one from the ladies and kids.

[aikoaiko]

16. I first saw the $200 and I was like ,holy smokes, but then I went to currency converter....

...found out this was $2-3 US dollars.

Good deal.

[malaise]

17. LOL

It was dirt cheap :D