In 2025, my stepfather passed away, leaving me with 100 acres of rural land in southern Québec, nestled in the mountains just north of Pittsburgh, NH. For a decade, it had been a relaxing vacation spot where my kids learned to make fires, name the constellations, set up camp and forage in the woods.
It's a lovely, peaceful stretch of land with a 25 acre natural plantation of balsam firs and a large playground of forest, streams and sugar maples. It was his hunting grounds, it was my family's retreat in the forest. We miss him dearly.
My mother and I, grief-stricken, thought about selling. I live in New Hampshire, hours away. She's retired and facing the future without her life partner of 30 years. But we couldn't do it. We couldn't let his dream go.
And so we didn't. We took over production and I went to work, researching, learning and developing a small product line based on nostalgia, family and our love of balsam fir, its aroma and resilience.
I harvest the balsam fir tips in Québec and bring them down to my home in Derry, New Hampshire to transform them into products that capture the essence of my wild northern roots. I hope they bring you and your family joy and warmth through the long winter!
Thank you for allowing me to share them with you,
Françoise Bélanger Ullrich
