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Greetings Friends of The Local, Wellness Collective and Hughes Library:
It’s been an epic year of community, shows, classes, crafts and amazing food, all cultivated, concocted, cooked, conjured and curated right here in the northwest corner.
As of last count, we have 120 different vendors at The Local with new ones arriving every week where we find room for them on shelves, tables, coolers or freezers. This month’s arrivistes included holiday mittens, soaps and…dream catchers.
And we know dream catchers work because this was the dream: a year-round farm market serving and benefiting the community. Sales this year have exceeded $200,000 (smashing 2024’s $135,000). Of that total, 90% goes directly to the producers, with almost all of it remaining in our local economy. Small farms and producers tell us every day that The Local makes a real difference in their lives. You’ll still see them out at summer green markets, but The Local allows them to sell almost effortlessly all year round.
Meanwhile, our wellness collective is thrumming. Now, on any day of the week, you can easily attend a yoga class—or two. The talented instructors who practice upstairs have built loyal followings, and they frequently remind us that without the easy access to our bright and open loft space, they’d have nowhere to hold their classes.
But maybe the greatest buzz this year has been around the little Hughes Memorial Library which is coming to life again. After decades of under use, there is now regular activity in the building: art shows, performances, special events and pop-up craft markets. Last summer, the Hughes was added to the State’s register of historic places leading to grants for much-needed renovations and repairs. More improvements are planned for 2026—so come visit.
Overall, the message is Community. Think of us as an incubator, a catalyst—a place where good concepts can launch and flourish—and where the answer is usually ‘yes’. Creating this special place has been—and will continue to be—a team effort, and if you’re reading this letter, know that you’re an important part of this success.
For the coming year, we have some exciting plans, most of which will be in and around the Hughes Library, experimenting with different use cases and events. We’re also working with Eversource, our next-door neighbor and owner of the adjacent open field and shoreline, to lightly improve that space so that it better serves our community. Finally, please understand that while we strive for self-sufficiency, we still depend on the generosity of this community to ensure that all of this keeps going and growing.
To that end, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. Drop off a check on your next visit or simply click on the link here:
Or mail a check payable to: Hughes Memorial Union, PO Box 4, W. Cornwall, CT 06796
With deep gratitude and continuing partnership,
Libby Mitchell, Program Director
Henry Labalme, Board Chair