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In my last entry, I wrote about how a wreath is made and hopefully conveyed the point that, all things considered, they tend to be pretty ecologically sound. They are usually harvested sustainably and help support thousands of independent workers who really need the money. Now I'd like to profile a few of the companies that sell wreaths to help guide you to a business that matches your economic needs and ecological values.

Worcester Wreath
First, Worcester Wreath, the company that until this year supplied LL Bean with all of its wreaths, presents a complicated choice. They gained cachet as the company behind “Wreaths Across America,” a public service in which the company donates thousands of wreaths to decorate the graves at Arlington National Cemetery. The idea has spread and now wreath makers around the nation are donating wreaths to honor veteran's graves everywhere.

Unfortunately, Worcester Wreath's environmental track record is not as laudable as their service to veterans. In an attempt to consolidate their control over the wreath-making industry, Worcester has clear-cut thousands of acres of forest in eastern Maine to make way for “brush agriculture.” Because they claimed that growing fir trees for wreaths is agriculture, they were able to sidestep most limitations on the size of clear-cuts. Fortunately, they miscalculated the size of the loophole they hid behind and have been slammed with fines of almost $200,000 by the Maine Forest Service—the largest fines ever levied for forestry violations within the state. Part of the fine was for improperly placing migrant labor housing. Apparently, part of the company's plan is to hire low-wage migrant workers rather than local residents, who have been doing the work for generations.

Whitney Wreath
Whitney Wreath, the current supplier of LL Bean's holiday wreaths, is still doing things the old-fashioned way, by buying wreath tips from private individuals who depend on this seasonal employment to make it through the long Maine winters. They are owned by a local family that has grown a number of successful small businesses in the area. Buying your wreath from LL Bean isn't a bad choice this year, but why not eliminate the middleman?

If you'd rather buy your wreath (or table centerpiece, etc.) from a smaller company, where your money really goes to support a family or nonprofit, here are two great alternatives:

Tide Mill Farm
Tide Mill Farm is an organic farm that has been owned and operated by the Bell family for eight generations. They are a study in sustainability, perseverance and adaptability. Someday when I have time, I hope to write a decent summary of all the things they have done right to survive this long. At this time of year, they focus on beautiful, handmade balsam wreaths and decorations. Buying from Tide Mill Farm is a vote with your dollars for family farms, sustainability and organic agriculture.

Cobscook Community Learning
The last company I'm going to highlight here is the Cobscook Community Learning Center. A nonprofit organization that provides all kinds of learning opportunities and community support for its region, the CCLC sells wreaths to raise scholarship money. All of CCLC's tuition fees are based on a sliding scale in which people pay what they can afford; the rest is covered by its scholarship fund. Even though you may live too far away to take advantage of CCLC programs (a shame, because they are a fantastic organization), your purchase is a vote in favor of a progressive model of cooperative learning and philanthropy.

If you are considering buying a wreath this holiday season, I hope I've given you something to think about. Going through the process of writing this entry has really made me think about the power of carefully choosing where we spend our dollars. Every purchase we make says something about our values, even when (especially when) we buy from large corporations whose values we know little about. Please be sure to keep that in mind as you buy gifts for your loved ones this holiday season.

Go to Part 1

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