Approximately 15 vendors set up their tables to display a variety of handcrafted and handmade items, including felted art pieces, woven textiles, greeting cards, knitted items, hand-sewn leggings in a rainbow of colors and prints, jewelry, children’s books, wooden items, alpaca wool and finished wool items.

Not wanting to miss anything, Trefor Munn-Venn from nearby Laystone Farm in Luskville was there for the second time that day with daughter Naomi.

“We purchased some baked goods and came back for some more fall inspiration,” he told The Equity.

Local entertainer Wayne Johnson was crooning for the steady stream of people looking for everything from fresh farm produce to jams, pickles, baked goods, or early Christmas gift ideas.

One of the event’s organizers and local artisan Jennifer Larose of Jennifer’s Wool Creations displayed her felted art pieces ranging from framed 3-D replicas of dogs and other domestic and wild animals in a natural setting.

Larose said she begins sculpting the wire skeleton before she applies the sheep and alpaca wool that she then felts with a needle into unique pieces of art.

“I often get commissioned pieces. People will send me pictures of their cat or dog and I model the piece to a likeness of them,” said Larose who has been enjoying her craft and displays them at local markets and fairs for approximately 6 years.

Larose, vice president of the local seniors’ club explained that the event was a fundraiser for the group Blé d’Or, now 36 members strong.

“The money will go towards the purchase of supplies and to support bingos and dances for the group,” said Larose, emphasizing the importance of organizing such activities for the elderly now that events are slowly starting up again.

Also displaying a wide variety of products was Victoria Mestres-Laurin of Infinity Farm. Her products ranged from farm-fresh eggs to arnica oil that she made from ripe arnica flowers.

They are picked at a very specific stage of their blossoming life, then macerated in the sunlight using cold-press olive oil from Greece, for five to six weeks. She adds a capsule of vitamin E, then lightly scents it with lavender essential oil. The end-product is a highly concentrated oil with anti-inflammatory properties.

Another item she produces is a felted vegetable oil-based soap because she was allergic to soaps, harsh chemicals and perfumes. The felting, she explained, was made with Merino wool which is hypoallergenic, it’s natural, anti-bacterial, exfoliant and biodegradable when it is disposed of, or can be infused with a couple of drops of essential oils and stored in a drawer.

“We don’t have Merino wool or sheep in Canada, but it’s very affordable as it comes all dyed, ready and processed,” Mestres-Laurin said.

“All of my scarves are also made with Merino wool, it’s very, very soft, almost like silk,” Mestres-Laurin added.

In the same vein, Mestres-Laurin has developed a natural cleaner and disinfectant product that she makes using vinegar and fir, but is macerated in the dark this time.

But perhaps the most unusual product on her table was packets of dehydrated alpaca and sheep poop.

“As a joke my husband said there is so much poop, if only we could sell it,” Mestres-Laurin explains, “so we did some research and decided to dehydrate it.”

The process, she says, removes the bacteria, it concentrates the manure and you set it around your plants. Everytime the plants are watered they are fertilized.

“My husband said you’re going to have to stop doing this, the plants are taking over, I’m going to have to move out,” she joked.

She also makes art pieces using different yarns and fibers and sells maple syrup made at the farm.

Also on location was a bouncy castle for the children to play in, but sadly because of the inclement weather, it stood empty outside the hall.

Organizers also offered a turkey dinner to go. For $15 the plate included turkey cooked just outside the hall on a rotisserie by Jesse Zito, according to caterer Sheila McCrindle who served it up with a helping of roasted potatoes, maple-glazed carrots with garlic and kale, and of course, cranberries.

Larose told The Equity that their turkey dinner was sold out.

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