Letter to the Editor: Thank you, Buckley Snowman, for the annual winter cheer

Published 11:00 am Wednesday, January 7, 2026

Since 2015 Kalen Green and his friend Robert Chess have been building a festive snowman on the Green family farm, along the Sumner-Buckley Highway.

The idea sprang after the young men had round-baled Kalen’s family’s hay field. The following winter, while socializing on the farm, they noticed the similarities of the silage film-wrapped hay bales to that of giant snowballs. With an idea implanted in their brains, the boys experimented first with marshmallows and toothpicks, building a small model. The plan was set!

Kalen and Robert used a loader from Haugen’s Dairy Farm to stack the 1,500-pound bales in the field, strap and brace them in place, and outfit them in snowman attire. The bales stood until March before falling over. The project, while only intended to be a one-time event, turned into an annual tradition.

The following November, locals began asking if Kalen and Robert would recreate their snowman. They obliged, even providing the lonely snowman with the addition of a snowwife.

The following year the family expanded to include a snowchild. Subsequent years would introduce various snowpets, such as a chicken and cow, and a host of themed outfits.

The year 2024 represented the tenth iteration of the snowman, as well as the 50th anniversary of the Buckley Log Show, commemorated by the display’s inclusion of a throwing axe in a bullseye. This year (2025) marks the eleventh iteration of the snowman.

The Buckley Snowman has become a local attraction, bringing joy and Christmas festivity to the community, hopefully for many years to come. Thank you Kalen and Robert, Haugen Farm, 202 Hay Co., Fall City Meats & Seafood, and all the other men and businesses who contribute to the holiday spirit.

Shane Riley

Buckley