No one could have guessed, back in 2016, how much time would weave its quiet magic between a small apple graft and a humming woodshop. When André deBeer pressed a tender branch to its rootstock at a G.A.L.A. workshop that year, he couldn’t have imagined that eight seasons later, the wood from that same tree would be spinning on a lathe at Makers Mill, transformed into something new once again.
Time has a way of circling back—of ripening ideas and organizations just as surely as it ripens fruit. What began as a hopeful graft in the soil and a fledgling nonprofit in Wolfeboro have both matured with patience and care, their growth rings tracing parallel stories of learning, creativity, and community.
Perched on the sparkling shores of Lake Winnipesaukee, the cottage colony of Clearwater Lodges in Winter Harbor is a place where time seems to slow. For owners Aynne and André deBeer, who have lovingly cared for this slice of New Hampshire for the past 25 years, it’s more than a property—it’s a living legacy.
To André, the land is both a passion and a responsibility. A devoted gardener and conservationist, he has turned the property into a small Eden of vegetable gardens, berry bushes, and fruit trees. His honeybees pollinate the orchard and gardens, and their honey sweetens the season for Clearwater Lodges’ guests.
“I’m passionate about the garden and growing,” says André with a smile, “and I love learning new things all the time.”
That hunger to learn led him to an unexpected place when, in 2016, he spotted a listing for a workshop on how to graft an apple tree. The workshop was hosted by G.A.L.A., the spirited nonprofit organization based in Wolfeboro, and was led by Michael Haeger, who would become both a mentor and a friend to André.
“Everyone in the class was given one sapling to work with,” André recalls. “I was like a mother hen, so protective of my little tree that I followed Michael’s instructions to the letter.”
Looking back now, that graft in 2016 feels incredibly symbolic. Grafting is an act of faith: one joins two separate plants together, hoping they’ll fuse into something stronger than either would be on its own. At the same time André was attending to the development of his grafted tree, G.A.L.A. was evolving into something stronger, grafting the ambitious vision of becoming a permanent makerspace onto its rootstock of sustainability and community service.
Both of those grafts—the real and the metaphoric—needed time to take hold. In those early months and years, as André protected and nurtured his little apple tree, he couldn’t see a lot happening above ground, but essential growth was taking place beneath the surface.
Meanwhile, G.A.L.A. was nurturing its own roots, raising funds to buy a historic building in Wolfeboro with the goal of converting it into a place where makers could come together, share knowledge, and create.
Nine years later, both the tree and Makers Mill have flourished. André’s once-fragile sapling has grown into a sturdy, ten-foot apple tree that bears crisp green apples, the scar of the graft now invisible.
This spring, André faced a new challenge: pruning his now-mature tree. As a conservationist, he couldn’t bear the idea of wasting the beautiful applewood he would be removing. He and Aynne wondered, “What if those pruned branches could become something guests could take home as a keepsake?” That question brought André back to Makers Mill.
“We decided to turn those pruned branches into wine stoppers,” says André. “So I signed up for a class to learn how to use the lathe.”
At Makers Mill, André found more than just tools and guidance. Yes, he learned to shape and finish the applewood stoppers—the results were beautiful and a big hit with their guests—but he also learned that Makers Mill housed an engaging, supportive community.
“Makers Mill just opened another door for me,” André reflects. “It’s given me the chance to keep learning and to bring my love of the land into a whole different form.”
From a tender sapling to a thriving tree… from a grassroots movement to a full-grown makerspace… both of these stories share the same DNA. They’re rooted in passion and education, strengthened by community, and made fruitful through care and time.
And just as André’s tree continues to grow and provide apples to the deBeers’ guests, Makers Mill keeps growing—bringing skill-building, career training, and a spirit of resilience to the Lakes Region. Proof that with patience, purpose, and passionate people, the things we plant can grow into something truly enduring.
If stories like André’s inspire you, consider helping Makers Mill continue this work of growing creativity, community, and connection.
There are so many ways to give, and they all make a difference.
Funding our Annual Fund is our top priority—for without meeting our annual financial obligations, the other scholarships, classes, and programs simply wouldn’t exist. Consider contributing to the Annual Fund first, or ask us where we stand with our goals before choosing another way to give.
👉 Learn more at www.makersmill.org/give