One thing I love about Maple is that it makes that long New England mud season between winter and spring much shorter. I also love Maine Maple weekend because it is also the first outing of the Maine Entomological Association (the Bug Folks) combining the best of both worlds. So I like to plan my Maine Maple Weekend to spend at least some time with MES at the Donahue residence in Whitefield.
The first visit for the day was Jillson’s Farm in Sabattus.
They were not yet boiling for the day but the sugarmaker was still enthusiastic about telling people how things work.
Someone thinks they have pretty good product!
They certainly had quite the variety!
I get rather frustrated when the line to purchase product goes out the door with no other way to see the actual process.
So I went to the next on my list, Maple Rush Sugar House. This has quite a picturesque building but it was hard to get a good picture as there was so much other stuff too close.
The red line on the hydrometer is above the syrup – over sweet! Easily adjusted.
The main purpose for choosing Maine on Saturday was because the Maine Entomological Association was also having their Syrup Making/Bucket Checking bug day, the first of our monthly outings for 2025.
A number of neighbors get together to collect sap and keep the furnace stoked.
There are a number of old farm maples along the back of the yard.
Charlene is a great teacher with learners of all skill levels.
On the way home I started with Poulin’s Maple in Windsor.
Many of the sugarhouses had boardwalks that would have been very helpful but there was very little mud.
Watching the syrup finally flow.
And my last farm for the day, Marcoux’s Maine Maple in Wiscasset.
Very picturesque sugarhouse.
And a sweet large evaporator with a steamaway.
HodgePodge Maple 