Letter to Editor | Lum Farm wraps up the season with thanks and good memories

||| FROM MANDY TROXEL for LUM FARM |||

The close of this year has been full of so much news (and weather events!) that the Lum Farm Holiday Tree Sale feels like a long time ago – but we would still like to button things up with some thank you’s. 

Tree farmers had a rough year in 2021 between fire, drought, worker shortages and then, right at harvest time, floods. We are thankful for the tenacity of the folks at Alpine Meadows Tree Farm, who supplied us with trees this year in the midst of great challenge. 

After selling out of trees in less than two weeks in 2020, we upped our order, bringing 460 trees to the island. Eric did this in two trips, including an epic day just before Thanksgiving when he spent the morning harvesting turkeys and then slept in his truck on the mainland in order to ensure getting to Alpine Meadows at the allotted hour. 

Opening day we were ready, thanks to some fabulous and much-appreciated volunteers. We’d especially like to thank Darryl and Pi, who did everything from scale ladders to direct traffic to tie countless trees to cars – sometimes in the pouring rain, and always in good spirits. Thanks also to members of the Lum Farm crew: to Kyle and Benson for building tree stands and unwrapping countless trees; to Damian for holding down the fort at the farmstand, and to Crystal and Amie for cranking out extra farm chores so that we could keep tree sale hours. And an extra big thanks to Brea Currey and Seabird Bakeshop for keeping us fortified with pastries and hot chocolate! 

Special thanks to all of you who came to the farm for a tree! It was truly a joy to be a part of holiday traditions as islanders chose their trees and headed off to decorate their homes. We so appreciated everyone’s patience, adherences to COVID protocols, and cheer! 

Every single tree found a home. It was an exercise in island community spirit. Employers bought trees for their workers’ families; Individuals bought trees for others who couldn’t afford one. Lum Farm was able to donate a number of trees through “the Santa Tree” as well as close out the sale by offering trees for free or by donation. 

Perhaps our favorite part of the tree sales is extending this holiday generosity to organizations that support island families. We’ve made donations to Kaleidoscope, Orcas Montessori, Salmonberry School, Children’s House, the Santa Tree, Orcas Community Resource Center, and the Orcas PTSA. We are deeply grateful for the work of these organizations, and to all the tree sales patrons who made these donations possible. 

Thank you Orcas Island, and we will see you again next year!