NORWICH – In December of 2014, unique effort to generate interest and support of the Bullthistle Farmers' Market was pitched to a group of Chenango County women fond of the knitting pin. The idea was to draw on the curiosity of pedestrians and passerby traffic – and according to event organizers, the curiosity paid.

The collaborative effort spun out of control when the idea of yarn-bombing small trees flanking both east and west sides of South Broad Street in downtown Norwich came to fruition.

Patty Stimmel, Horticulture Educator – slash – Bullthistle Farmers’ Market Monitor for the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chenango County, says that the group’s “sweaters” that were placed upon as many as twelve trees brought nearly 200 customers into the Bullthistle Winter Farmers' Market, which is regularly held inside The Artists' Palette

Once observers approached the vividly donned trees, tethered tags invited community members to cast their ballot for a favorite tree inside the Farmers' Market.

“We just thought that this would be a very different, fun and vibrant way to gain the attention of the everyone passing though the area,” said event organizer Stimmel in December.