In the winter of 2015, Janet and Brian Chasse of Greenville, Maine ventured out and started a home based business that the two believed in wholeheartedly, a business that would not only benefit themselves but their community as well, and from their vision, Moosehead Marketplace was born. This family business focuses on providing products and gift baskets which feature products made in the Moosehead Region, filling in with other Maine producers as neccessary. 

Janet explained “We love the Moosehead region, we raised our family here and will live out our lives here. Greenville is our heart and soul, and one of the reasons we started this business is to help boost its economy. We wanted to provide an opportunity for local artists, chefs, builders and crafters to market their wares, 365 days a year, and an online store is the only way to achieve that goal, since we are so remote.”

She added “One of our greatest resources in the Moosehead area would be the year round residents who are independent, hardworking, kind and giving- and we wanted to work with these people.” Some of the small manufacturers with products available through Moosehead Marketplace include:  Maine Mountain Soap & Candle, Northwoods Gourmet Girl, Moose Bee Granola, and Moosehead Balsam Fir. Add to the mix local seamstresses, crafters, woodworkers, painters, authors, and chefs and the result is a company that encompasses the true essence of Maine people and their spirit-which is evident in the quality products produced, which are all hand selected by Janet. “We feel we capture the flavor of these small northern Maine towns from the wares the people in the community create,” Janet said.

Moosehead Marketplace is truly a one stop shopping spot-and one where shopping can be done in the comfort of one’s own home. The store is stocked with a variety of items suited for people of all ages, lifestyles and tastes. Whether it’s homemade jams, Maine maple syrup, winter outer wear, lip balms, bath and spa products, toys, candles, soaps, artwork, prints, signs, sculptures, jewelry or hand tied fishing flies- Moosehead Marketplace has you covered. 

To get an idea about the quality of the products offered at Moosehead Marketplace, and the commitment the Chasse’s have to the people in their community, Janet elaborated a bit “Our mittens are $40, but they are hand knit from wool, or hand sewn from up-cycled wool sweaters and made by two women who are supporting themselves. You could buy a pair of mittens in a big box store for under $10, but they were likely produced by children in a third world country. The same with the soaps we sell, each ingredient is verified to be pure, who knows what is in some of the soaps you buy at the store.”

To make shopping even easier and personalized, Moosehead Marketplace even offers custom themed pine crates handmade by Brian and branded on both ends with a moose logo and the words “Moosehead Lake, Maine”. The crates are full of top notch unique and interesting Maine products and can crates even be customized with hand picked products of your choice! Gift crate examples include: Christmas, house warming, new baby (which feature tiny handmade suede baby moccasins) balsam fir, bee products, Maine maple, spa, “upta” camp, wine, breakfast, woodland and more. “These crates are a woodsy twist on the traditional gift baskets and many of the products feature local sustainable natural resources,” Janet said.

Janet delved deeper into the up-cycled and natural resources end of the business. “The balsam used in balsam fir pillows comes from used Christmas trees that the family collects, and all the slate products are from slate shingles from torn down houses in Monson.” 

Moosehead Marketplace sales have steadily increased since their humble beginnings less than two years ago, and the Chasse’s say their goal is to see it expand, and possibly be able to employee a few Maine people in the process “If this works out, we are hoping it's something we can do as we retire. We want to thank everyone who have helped to make out dream a success and a reality,” Janet concluded.

Shelley Fleming-Wigglesworth
Freelance Journalist
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