Author: Kate Wilcox

It’s here! New Hampshire Maple Month! One problem with having visited so many sugarhouses is that I need to travel further to find one I haven’t met yet.

This year I started by heading west to Hunts’ Sugar House in Hillsboro, NH. Although Charles Senior and Junior started here in 1994, the family has a long tradition of Maple through the matriarchal line of Teresa (Crane) who’s family begin in 1913 and long collected buckets with oxen. They have 30 acres on site but also collect from the 90-acre Crane farm for a total of 2500 taps, mostly on tubing though they have a couple of buckets for show and for the kids. Charlie Sr. agreed with the consensus that 2018 started fast and furious though they have appreciated a slow down for the last couple of days which allowed them to clean the system.

The sugarhouse is long “shot-gun” style with the kitchen/shop in one end and wood storage and tanks in the other with the evaporator between. They have a storage tank underground to take advantage of the coolness and one sap line runs under the driveway and into the tank. The Reverse Osmosis (RO) machine is in the basement of the house and the line from here to the evaporator runs overhead. There is a sliding barn door between the wood shed with tank overhead and the evaporator and Charlie was very proud of his trolley system to bring the wood in. Because the trolley runs in through the sliding door, he has designed a “draw-bridge” which pulls the rail out of the way to close the door. He is mechanically minded and creates his own wooden boxes for storage and delivery.

Hunts’ believes good forest management also leads to more and better syrup. Many of the trees on site have been thinned or “released”. This procedure removes surrounding trees that aren’t maples or aren’t productive, allowing more sun to reach the remaining trees. Charlie believe that these trees may now produce sap with a higher sugar content, possibly 1/2 to 1% higher than previously.

I next drove into Washington, NH to the Atkins Family Sugarhouse. (Don’t trust Garmin – they would have me lost if I wasn’t paying attention). Shawn Atkins wasn’t boiling on this cold day but was also appreciating the slowdown from a fast start to the season. He also appreciates his RO machine for his 1500 taps, especially since this season started with only 1 to 1 1/2% sugar. I’m sure Shawn will work hard this year to try to hold on to the Carlisle trophy, the award given to him in 2018 by the New Hampshire Maple Producer’s Association to the best maple syrup in the Granite State. He and his wife are mighty (and rightly) proud, creating blue ribbon labels for their syrup and other products. I was particularly impressed by the (blue ribbon bedecked) maple popcorn.

Shawn says that he was bit by the Maple bug hauling buckets around the Crane farm (with the oxen) when he was a kid. He and his wife started their sugarhouse here in 2003. This building is packed to the gills with maple memorabilia such as a hay tram from Cranes that he uses to haul wood in to the evaporator, plenty of buckets, and an ox yoke. I enjoyed the large leaf-shaped slab of tap hole maple – especially good to show how a healthy tree deals with holes.

I did not spend a lot of time at Bascom Maple Farm but did get a tour of the syrup production area from Liz. She showed me the new steam evaporator (over 300 gallons of syrup per hour) though, like many others, it was quiet today. She showed me the room full of quiet RO equipment and the day-by-day charts of production that showed 7,000 gallons more at this point this year than last. My computer geek loved looking at the wireless monitoring system showing the vacuum status at the end of each branch of each line on the farm. Many were red (still frozen), with a few white (need to get someone to check them out), but plenty of green producing sap that will boil tomorrow.

It was interesting to see the syrup in cardboard boxes. Bascom’s sells bulk syrup in barrels and casks but these need to be recycled so they also sell it in bag lined boxes, both 5 gallon and ones the equivalent of 4 barrels – 160 gallons? These may be used to make other products, to be bottled, or maybe in restaurants.

I was excited to drive up to Clarks’ Sugar House and see the steam pouring from the cupola. I visited this farm in 2015 but that was a cold year as well and the evaporator was still. Alvin was greeting guests while his son and another gentleman ran the evaporator. This house is also filled with wonderful memorabilia though this day it was masked by the steam from the evaporator. Alvin showed me the wonderful science geek chart that shows dates and amounts of production since 1959. I believe he said he began the year his son was born. Clarks’ has been doing this a lot longer than Shawn Atkins and has 6 Carlisles to their credit.

Clarks’ other claim-to-fame is Valley View Bison Farm. On the weekends of the 17th and 24th they will have bison burgers and bison chili available at the Sugarhouse. This day they just had their large selection of goods such as syrup, candy, and coated nuts.

In the corner of the “sales” counter was my favorite Maple Collecting Pen and Ink Drawing by Gene Matras. Maybe there is another artist that does Maple but I haven’t met them. I’ve been to the Matras Maple farm in Pittsfield and bought a Beaver print for myself. I feel like I’ve got ties to this artist and have found his work at many farms. It just makes me smile.

Mark Woodard of Woodard’s Sugar House began his Maple Journey in his grandfather’s sugar house in Vermont. He dreamed of having his own and built it with his dad in 2005, though he did not start boiling until 2012, so this is Mark and Kati’s 6 sweet season. The Woodard maple grove is on a slope that appears to deliver much of the maple from their 900 taps directly into the sap shed; from there is is only a few large steps through the RO into the evaporator.

Woodards has a wonderful selection of maple treats that they apparently bring to many area Farmers Markets. I enjoyed Maple Pecans and will enjoy wearing my new “Got Maple?” T-shirt with the beautiful 3-leaf Woodard Logo on the back. My last farm, Crescendo, raved about Kati’s maple candy. She confessed to me that she loves her cream machine but still prefers to do the candy by hand. I guess she’s chosen right for her.

Crescendo Acres is the home of Maple, Alpacas, Mini Horses, a few cats, and Russ and Diana Fiorey. Russ has 700 taps, mostly on tubing with some buckets for show. Russ is an educator, eager to host the Girl Scouts or do a presentation at the local Agway. He has kept a record of flows over the years on the sugar shack wall. He says the flow is good this year but the sugar percentage has been low. He has made a number of upgrades recently including an automatic draw-off, a refractometer to see when the sap is syrup, an electronic grader, and a new stainless-steel feeder tank.

Russ then took me out back to show me the boys, the herd of alpacas. He and Diana used to have mini horses but have switched over to alpacas. They also have a Christmas tree farm and ask for returns to feed the animals. They have a beautiful gift shop with maple and alpaca products. Diana is a very skilled craftswoman though some of the products are consigned.

Many of the maple farms I have visited have been nestled in the hills and along streams, dotted with hemlocks and rock ledges. It doesn’t take much to remind me why I love northern New England, and New Hampshire in particular. Next week – more adventures.