Volunteer Spotlight at The Rocks Estate ~ Brody Tuite

Brody Tuite: ready to tie your Christmas tree to your car.

At The Rocks Estate, our dedicated volunteers keep things moving merrily along, especially during the busy Christmas tree season. If you’ve been to the farm, you’ve most certainly crossed paths with many of our friendly volunteer staff – on the wagon rides, tying Christmas trees to cars, or teaching visitors how to tap a sugar maple tree in the spring.

We checked in with Brody Tuite, who has been helping at the farm for about four years and was last year’s Volunteer of the Year, in between tree-tying shifts to find out why he spends so much time

helping out at the farm

How did you get started as a volunteer at The Rocks?

“My grandfather was a volunteer for about 30 years there. Then it moved to my dad. And now it’s my turn. They’re always looking for volunteers, especially during peak times like now. And there are all sorts of jobs – inside and outside. I’d encourage anyone who wants to get involved, even for a few hours, to volunteer at The Rocks.”

What are some of the jobs you’ve done at The Rocks?

“I do anything from parking cars to tying trees to loading the wood boiler to tapping trees during the maple program to driving the tractor. Whatever’s needed. Lately I’ve been working weekends, getting people’s trees tied to their cars.”

Is this the busiest time of year at The Rocks?

“It’s extremely busy. There’s some set up in the mornings, and it’s pretty quiet then. But by the middle of the day, you don’t really have time to think. You just tie one tree on, then move to the next car. I think we did 391 trees the Saturday after Thanksgiving.”

Why do you volunteer at The Rocks?

“I appreciate what the Forest Society does. I really like working outside. And (Rocks Estate Director) Nigel’s a stand-up guy. I just enjoy my time there. Many people have been coming here for their Christmas tree every year for 20-plus years. This year was the first year I had repeat customers recognize me. They wanted to make sure I was the one who tied their tree to the car.”

We hope you’ll visit The Rocks this season. Our gift shops and tree sales are open daily -- right through Christmas Eve for the last-minute shoppers -- from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Our volunteers are standing by, ready to help make your holidays merry and bright!