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FFA Holiday Market shoppers undeterred by snow

FFA Holiday Market shoppers undeterred by snow

Ty Ford puts the finishing touches on a handmade wreath at Housatonic FFA’s Holiday Market production night Dec. 12.

Patrick L. Sullivan

FALLS VILLAGE — Alumni and friends of the Housatonic FFA chapter came to Housatonic Valley Regional High School Thursday night, Dec. 12, to make holiday wreaths for sale in the FFA Holiday Store.

This traditional event is always a highlight of the December calendar in Region One.

The first “production night” on Dec. 4 was canceled due to an ominous weather forecast.

Asked if the cancellation set things back, Agriculture Education department chair Dave Moran was non-committal.

He did observe that the recent rain depressed sales temporarily.

“Snow doesn’t stop anybody,” he mused. “But rain?”

Moran steered a reporter to a wreath-making station featuring veteran wreathmaker Ty Ford.

Ford’s hands were a blur as he took the clumps of evergreens from his fellow workers as fast as they could deliver them.

The FFA Holiday Store is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. through Friday, Dec. 20.

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