HodgePodge Maple

Planning your Sweet Maple Road Trip!

Maple Season is short and the time of open sugarhouses is even shorter, so I’ve come up with a means of hitting as many as I can as quickly as I can. Having a GPS helps but is not necessary if your goal farms are on main roads.

Farmers who belong to the state associations (see link here) let the association know when they will be open and often provide a “news release” listing specialty items or unusual activities they may have available. I decide on an area I want to conquer on a particular day and create an excel spreadsheet transferring the data from the website. I then use MapQuest’s Route Planner option to create a tour that includes all the sites. This site includes an option to upload a spreadsheet.

The Map this creates for me may or may not be reasonable. It gives a time estimate, but of course that does not include any time for the stop itself. And the Map is only labeled with the addresses, not the names of the farms, so I have to keep my Excel Spreadsheet handy. I compare it to thethe map and the list and may pull stops off of my map if there are too many or they are too far away. Eventually I’ve worked it down to a “do-able” list and I’ve taken farms off of the spreadsheet to match. I put the “pin numbers” from Mapquest on the spreadsheet and reorder the list keeping in mind if a farm has listed that it will open late or close early.

I save both the original long list and the final draft as pdfs and open them on my tablet. The day of my adventure I use the short list to feed my GPS and add in stops from the long list if I find I have recommendations from farmers or extra time. I will often direct my tours so I end up far from home so that this drive can take place after a day full of adventures when the farms are closed.

(Cover photo: Ridgeland Farm, Loudon, NH)

Meetinghouse Hill Tree Farm

In 2010, when I lost my job for the second time in a year, I needed some way to “contribute to society” and do something I love. As I searched for work, I volunteered one day a week each for the Scarborough Marsh and for Laudholm Farm. They were both a bit of a drive from my parents’ house in Waterboro so I gave them each 8 hours to make the mileage more worth it.

In October 2010, I moved to Rochester and missed the Environmental Community I had in Maine. When I saw a posting that the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests (the Forest Society) was looking for Land Stewards, I jumped at the chance. The fact that it came with a weekend of training (Environmental Camp!) was a bonus. I volunteered for a short time at the Cooper Cedar Woods in New Durham before finding my place at the Salmon Falls Forest in Milton, NH.

I have continued to volunteer with the Forest Society, watching my property, learning trail maintenance, chain saw use and rock work, and most recently photographing events. Recently I was asked to represent the Society at “Discover Wild NH Day” at NH Fish and Game last Saturday. I also took a day off work and served at the Lost River spring cleanup on Tuesday.

At Lost River, Jenn, the Land Steward Program Coordinator for the Forest Society had Buffs, a cool, fun multipurpose headband that I guess was made popular on Survivor. These were imprinted with topo maps, the Forest Society Logo, and the logo for a new app they are working on. I really wanted one (or two) but she didn’t have any extras. I remembered I had won a Duck Nesting Box in a raffle with the Wildlife Heritage Foundation at the Saturday Festival and had to go to Concord to pick it up. I could stop by the SPNHF Center and get my buffs as well.

I stopped by Fish and Game first as I did not expect that stop to take long and didn’t want to be pressed for time if I wanted to explore the Forestry Center. When I got to SPNHF Jenn had not been back to the office since Tuesday so nothing was at the desk for me. The receptionist did not know what I was looking for so I ran down my list of people I knew there that might know. One after the other was not in the office but I finally mentioned Dave Anderson.

I am not sure when I first met Dave but I’ve always been impressed with his down to earth teaching style. He writes articles for the New Hampshire Sunday News, the Forest Society’s Forest Notes magazine and the “Something Wild” podcast that plays on New Hampshire Public Radio. Recently I saw an article talking about the Maple Sugar House that he built. I got him talking maple and happily listened to him roll for at least a 1/2 hour.

He told me with pride about his son Cody working with him, cutting and milling the lumber for the post and beam structure and how the family came together to raise the frame while he was recovering from surgery. He was also blessed to have a grandson born the day after – The sugarhouse and grandson born at the same time. He spoke of the difficulty getting the proper permissions from the town. All of his abutters and town old timers approved the project, but it was too close to the property line. He said the red tape ended with the following: Building inspector: “You received a building permit five years ago to build a shed in this area, did you not.” “Technically, this is not a new build; it is a renovation of an existing structure.” It’s much easier to get a rebuilding permit than a new structure one.

Dave and Cody began sugaring in buckets that they received as a gift. This year they had a combination of buckets and tubing. The sugaring equipment itself was purchased from the estate of a Maple Farmer in Vermont. The widow came this spring to celebrate the life of her husband in the new sugarhouse full of working equipment and all the scents that brought back wonderful memories.

Dave also told me about when Cody attended Colby College in Maine. Cody and some of his friends discovered there was a maple grove in the college woods and took it upon themselves to make syrup. They harvested the sap and boiled it down but were exposed when he was finishing the syrup in the dorm kitchen and fell asleep. The smoke produced when it over-cooked set off the alarms and the Fire Department responded. Cody was called before the Dean but ended up giving the Dean a tour of the Maple stand.

Dave opened up my HodgepodgeMaple.com blog while I was there. Today the first post is a list of the 70 sugarhouses I have visited to date. We talked about some of the guys he knew on the list and he made recommendations for me to visit next year. I recommended he speak with Dean Wilbur of MapleTree Farm in Concord. Dean is a wonderful long-time maple farmer and educator and I think they will hit it off. I forgot to mention to Dave that Dean has planted many of his maples with stock from the Proctor Maple Research Farm.

Dave has had “Meetinghouse Hill Tree Farm” at the site in South Sutton for many years now. Once upon a time I asked him where was his favorite special place to explore was and he said, “my tree farm at home.” I can understand.

We talked about legacies. Dave is very proud of his son Cody, and spoke of Cody’s discovery that he wanted to raise his family in New England close to the land. I reminded and thanked Dave that, even if he did not have a son, he has invested in the youth of the area that he will still leave a legacy of Stewardship.

(Photos of Meetinghouse Hill Sugarhouse and Cody Anderson by Dave Anderson)

Sugarhouses I’ve entered so far

1	Harris Farm	Dayton, ME	4/2/09
2	Giles Family Farm	Alfred, ME	3/28/10
3	Thurston and Peters	Newfield, ME	3/26/11
4	Maple Hill Sugarhouse	Newfield, ME	3/26/11
5	Hilltop Boilers	Newfield, ME	3/24/12
6	Remick Farm Museum	Tamworth, NH	3/24/14
7	Meadowview Sugarhouse	Union, NH	3/23/13
8	Spring Harvest Maple Farm	Barrington, NH	3/20/11
9	Meaders Heritage Farm	Rochester, NH	3/23/13
10	Sanborn Hope Farm	Rochester	3/23/14
11	Price Farm	Gilmanton, NH	3/29/14
12	Fillion Maple Farm	Gilmanton, NH	3/29/14
13	Still Seeking Farm	Gilmanton, NH	3/29/14
14	Pearl & Sons Farm	Loudon, NH	3/29/14
15	Maple Ridge Sugar House	Loudon, NH	3/29/14
16	Bascom Family Farm	Alstead, NH	3/21/15
17	Clarks’ Sugar House	Langdon, NH	3/21/15
18	Belgian Meadows Farm	Lebanon, ME	3/22/15
19	Chase Farms	Wells, ME	3/22/15
20	Young Maple Ridge	N Sandwich, NH	3/28/15
21	Booty Family Farm	Center Sandwich, NH	3/28/15
22	SP’s Sugar Shack	Center Ossipee, NH	3/28/15
23	Ten Rod Farm	Rochester, NH	3/29/15
24	Good Olde Boys Maple Syrup	Strafford, NH	3/29/15
25	The Root Sellar	Nottingham, NH	3/12/16
26	Folsom’s Sugar House	Chester, NH	3/12/16
27	Rising Sweetness Sugar Shack	New Durham, NH	3/19/16
28	Shepherd’s Hut Market	Gilford, NH	3/19/16
29	Windswept Maples Farm	Loudon, NH	3/19/16
30	Ridgeland Farm	Loudon, NH	3/19/16
31	Journey’s End Maple Farm	Pittsfield, NH	3/19/16
32	Matras Family Farm	Pittsfield, NH	3/19/16
33	Sap Hound Maple Company	Brownfield, ME	3/20/16
34	Turkey Street Maples	Chocorua, NH	3/20/16
35	Triple C Farm	Lyman, ME	3/26/16
36	Coopers Maple Products	Windham, ME	3/26/16
37	Nash Valley Farm	Windham, ME	3/26/16
38	Merrifield Farm	Gorham, ME	3/26/16
39	Pingree Maple Products	Cornish, ME	3/26/16
40	Rocky M Farm	Porter, ME	3/26/16
41	Willette’s Maple Syrup	Porter, ME	3/26/16
42	Lost Cabin Sugar Bush	Limington, ME	3/26/16
43	Morin’s Maple Syrup	Limerick, ME	3/27/16
44	Maple House Farm	Waterboro, ME	3/27/16
45	Maple Moon Farm	Lebanon, ME	3/27/16
46	LaBounty Sugar House	Lunenburg, VT	4/2/16
47	Gram-Vue Farm	Lunenburg, VT	4/2/16
48	Maple Memories Sugarhouse	Lunenburg, VT	4/2/16
49	East View Farm	Lunenburg, VT	4/2/16
50	Macie Sugarhouse	Lunenburg, VT	4/2/16
51	Goodrich’s Maple Farm	Cabot, VT	4/2/16
52	Silloway Maple Farm	Randolph Center, VT	4/2/16
53	Seabrisket Sugarbush	Brookfield, NH	3/18/17
54	Eldridge Family Sugar House	Tamworth, NH	3/18/17
55	Bridgewater Mountain Maple	Plymouth, NH	3/19/17
56	Huckins Maple Farm	Tilton, NH	3/19/17
57	Mapletree Farm	Concord, NH	3/25/17
58	LedgeTop Sugar House	Boscawen, NH	3/25/17
59	Kimball’s Sugar House	Webster, NH	3/25/17
60	Courser Farm	Warner, NH	3/25/17
61	Sammy’s Sugar Shack	Milford, NH	3/25/17
62	Brookview Sugarhouse	Wilton, NH	3/25/17
63	Connolly’s Sugar House	Temple, NH	3/25/17
64	Ben’s Sugar Shack	Temple, NH	3/25/17
	Harris Family Farm	Dayton, ME	3/26/17
65	Douston Maple and Honey	Arundel, ME	3/26/17
66	Brookridge Boilers	Lyman, ME	3/26/17
	Giles Family’s New Sugarhouse	Alfred, ME	3/26/17
67	Benton’s Sugar Shack	Thornton, NH	4/1/17
68	Fadden’s Sugar House	N Woodstock, NH	4/1/17
	Meadowview View Sugarhouse	Union, NH	4/2/17
69	Sugarmomma’s Maple Farm	Northwood, NH	4/2/17
70	Dill Family Farm	Deerfield, NH	4/2/17
71	Forty to One	Farmington, NH	3/4/18
72	Hunt’s Sugar House	Hillsboro, NH	3/10/18
73	Atkins Family Sugarhouse	Washington, NH	3/10/18
	Bascom Family Farm	Alstead, NH	3/10/18
	Clarks’ Sugar House	Langdon, NH	3/10/18
74	Woodard’s Sugar House	Surry, NH	3/10/18
75	Crescendo Farm	Surry, NH	3/10/18
76	Dufresne’s Sugar House	Williamsburg, MA	3/17/18
77	Paul’s Sugarhouse	Williamsburg, MA	3/17/18
78	Hanging Mountain Farm	Westhampton, MA	3/17/18
79	Clapp Sugarhouse	Westhampton, MA	3/17/18
80	Steve’s Sugar Shack	Westhampton, MA	3/17/18
81	Zawalick’s Sugarhouse	Florence, MA	3/17/18
82	Brookledge Sugarhouse	Whately, MA	3/17/18
83	Boyden Brothers Maple	Conway, MA	3/17/18
84	Hutchinson’s Family Sugarhouse	Canterbury, NH	3/18/18
85	Baker’s Syrup	Warner, NH	3/24/18
86	Bate’s Maple Syrup	Warner, NH	3/24/18
87	Beaver Meadowbrook Farm	Warner, NH	3/24/18
88	Turyn’s Tap’n & Sap’n	Webster, NH	3/24/18
89	Rogers Maple Syrup	Warner, NH	3/24/18
90	Kearsarge Gore Farm	Warner, NH	3/24/18
91	Sweet’s Maple/Ben’s Sugar Shack	Newbury, NH	3/24/18
92	Meetinghouse Hill Tree Farm	Sutton, NH	3/24/18
93	Hidden Roots Maple Farm	Limerick, ME	3/25/18
94	Alderwood Farm	Limerick, ME	3/25/18
95	Sunnyside Maples	Loudon, NH	3/31/18
96	Trailside Sugar House	Andover, NH	3/31/18
97	5 Saplings Sugar House	Wilmot, NH	3/31/18
98	4-A Sugar Shack	Andover, NH	3/31/18
99	Grampa’s Sugar Barn	Danbury, NH	3/31/18

Spring Harvest Maple Farm is my local guy – I haven’t kept track of every time I’ve visited them. There may be others that I have visited a couple of time. I will try to keep better track.

There are also some that I have photographed off season or from the road.

Now I need to write…

I’m home. It’s 5:45 pm Sunday, April 2, 2017. NH Maple month is officially over. And as I look back I see that I visited my first Maple Farm 8 years ago today. There’s still plenty of maple activity to go this year – at least to the north. Some to the south are finished and it won’t take too many days like today for the buds to come out. Sugar Maples usually last a little longer than Reds but if you are on tubing you may not have the option to choose your trees. There’s also things like the Vermont Maple Festival at the end of the month. I have a commitment for Saturday but might see what I can do on Sunday…then again, it looks like all the Sugarhouse tours are Saturday. Maybe I should just aim now for Vermont Maplerama in August.

This year has been a strange year all around. The weather has been up and down, particularly crazy on weekends which is the time I have to go Sweet Peeping, that is, hunting open Sugar Shacks. But I’ve had many good discussions with Sugarmakers of all skill levels and passed out many cards. I’ve realized how hard these people work and thought about how maybe I can share information between them in ways no one else can. In light of that, I’ve chosen to open my Facebook Maple Albums to public viewing. I’d love to share the information that I’ve found with the farmers who might learn something.

I also invite critique, criticism and corrections. If I have something wrong, whether it be technique or history, please drop me a note so I can correct it ASAP. That being said, here are the links to my albums. Warning: they are large.

Maple Sugaring (#1)

Maple Sugar #2

Maple Sugar #3

And I hope to transcribe some of my notes about the farms I have visited this year and get some blog posts written soon. 2017 brought less quantity but greater quality visits.

Enjoy! May you have a sweet season.

Vermont Maple Weekend: Lunenburg Maple Festival

On April 2nd, 2016 I struck gold. I found out about the L Bridge 04-02-16P Mt Orne-11 unenburg Maple Festival on the Vermont Maple Sugar Makers Association website. I think the drive was about 2 1/2 hours to get there but it brought me through beautiful country, some of which I had never seen before. I entered Vermont through the Mt Orne covered bridge, which I thought was appropriate. It was not far from here to the Lunenburg Primary School where the base of the festival was held.

As you enter the school there are displays, possibly created by school students. The ones I saw talked about types of trees, family history with pictures, and equipment. There were books and postcards from the historical society, “culinary delights” (pancake breakfast, pie contest, and to-die-for maple cookies), and “creative expressions of maple” (photo and quilt square contest). The quilt squares were then made into a quilt that will be raffled this year.

The Vermont Maple Sugar Makers had a food trailer in the parking lot where you could try samples or buy treats.

My favorite part was the map that they give you as you walk in the door. On it were Maple Farms that were open for tours. The same map has been used for many years and some of the places were not currently open, but I was able to visit 6 different houses within the town boundaries.

My first stop was Bernard LaBounty’s. This was hands-down the most picturesque house of the day. Mr LaBounty said, “I’ve been sugarin’ all my life – I’ve been here since 2000. He says he does it the “easy way – with tubing”. Tubing might be easier than buckets but is still a lot of work.

I then headed up the road a piece to Gram-Vue Sugar House. The Colby’s have a long history of sugaring but Wes was the second son so he had to build his own sugar house. That was okay with him since his dad had switched to oil-fired and he never liked it. When he built his own new house in 1979 he put in the wood-fired unit he wanted. His maple grove is totally Rock (Sugar) Maple and his house can watch the sun rise or set. He has won many awards for his fancy (light colored) syrup but has had trouble selling it recently as people have been looking for the more robust flavor of darker syrup.

Sharon and Chet Stockwell of Maple Memories have been sugaring here 20 years, 10 with the current set up. Sharon’s dad was a Maple Farmer – Chet grew up as a “city kid” in town. They met in High School. They originally had an evaporator set up in the driveway and Chet came home one night to find a log frame with a tarp over it. He later reused the frame as the base for his new sugar shack. Their son went away to college and came back recommending that they use a blower in the wood box. Chet admitted “if the older folks listen to the younger folks, sometimes they have some pretty good ideas!”

Larry Amadon started doing maple at East View Farm 50/50 with his 15-year-old son in 2000. When his son Amadon VT 04-02-16P Maple-5 “found girls” he was no longer interested in the work so his father bought him out. He is a contractor who does “just
syrup” with his maple as opposed to those who do candy and creams. He does enjoy having sugar on snow for his Maple Weekend guests but had no snow to serve on this year so he rented a snow-cone machine. Each year he records his boils on shingles that he hangs on the wall at the end of the season.

Carroll Macie of Macies’ Maple told his wife Neva that he wanted to get into maple when he retired. Neva’s retirement gift to him in 2010 was an evaporator. He watches what other people do but doesn’t jump on the bandwagon immediately. He built his own sap pre-heater out of pvc pipe but figures next year it might be worth having a copper one. He also didn’t think he needed a filter press but now he’s glad he bought one. He told me that Vermont checks the sugar level of the syrup by weight. Syrup should weigh 11 lbs per gallon as opposed to the 8 pounds of pure water. Macies’ syrup had a unique buttery flavor that I’d not tasted elsewhere.

When I am planning these maple tours I go to the state Maple Producers’ website and list all the potentials. There were only 6 farms open in Lunenburg so I still had some time for more in Vermont (though I forgot how big the state really is).

The next farm I wanted to visit had a few things going for it. It was big, well-known in maple, and was open later. I headed for Cabot to visit Goodrich Maple Farm. Glen Goodrich started as an Industrial Arts teacher who also did maple and has morphed into one of the industry’s greatest inventors. He created one of the first sap pre-heaters and is regularly a guest speaker at maple meetings. The family has been sugaring since at least 1840 but he’s also Abenaki on his mother’s side so probably much longer. He built his first sugarhouse in 1979 and rebuilt it yearly until they purchased this property in 1990. He has the “latest and greatest”, most efficient system he can figure out. He has designed equipment for a couple of manufacturers and built his latest building with a seminar room. His daughter Jean works with him regularly and I happened to catch a day when his father was also visiting. His first daughter Sarah moved to Michigan where she started Thunder Bay Maple.

The only farm that I knew was still open at this time was Silloway Maple in Randolph Center. They are now in their 3rd sugarhouse (2014) which looked like a pretty plain pole building until I saw the solar panels on top and the beautiful woodwork inside. Their 70 solar panels provide enough electricity for their whole maple production and half of the need for their dairy farm. The sugarhouse has a loft with a large screen that they use for educational programs. Paul is currently the manager of the business but his folks did the work before him and his mom Bette is still the “marketing director”. She enjoys writing and has a blog. She has written magazine articles and markets wholesale and at the local farmer’s market. This is the first farm where I have seen a designated drum storeroom with an overhead lift system. When they syrup is drummed, they also create a small sample bottle so they don’t have to break the seal to test the flavor. The drums are well cataloged with serial numbers. Paul was planning on taking some drums later in the week to the Big E for potential sale at the Fair in the fall.

The 12th annual Lunenburg Maple Festival will be held March 25. 2017 from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the Lunenburg Primary School, 49 Bobbin Mill Rd, Lunenburg, VT. If any of my friends are interested in going, please let me know as I’d love to purchase the history book and more of those wonderful cookies Smile

Maple Open Houses 2017

Most of the states with Sugar and Red Maples have a state association for sugarmakers. These associations usually schedule a day or weekend each year during the time that the sap is running for people to be able to tour open Sap Houses. Farms register the fact that they are open with their association who usually posts the information on their websites so visitors can plan ahead.

General Travel Sites:

Travel New England: New England Maple Syrup Producers/Sugarhouses

New England Today: Best New England Maple Festivals and Events

Discover New England: New England’s Maple Sugaring Season

State Maple Sites:

Connecticut celebrates March as Maple Month

Rhode Island celebrates March as Maple Month (no association website)

Massachusetts Maple Weekend – March 18 & 19

Vermont Maple Weekend – March 25 & 26

New Hampshire Maple Weekend – March 25 & 26 but also celebrates Maple Month from 3/11 through 4/2

Maine Maple Weekend – March 25 & 26

May your Maple Season be sweet! And if you are a producer, may your sap be 3%.

Newspapers also often will post local events

Sweet Adventures 2017

It’s here! Well, at least kinda sorta. After a week of nights in the 20’s and days in the 40’s some New Hampshire Maple Farms are already tapping (Laconia Daily Sun). Then again, last year Maine Maple farmers were also tapping this weekend (Bangor Daily News). In 2016, two weeks later, during traditional tapping time, temps were below 0 over night rising to 20’s during the day. It’s a risk to tap early as frozen equipment can create more work, but tapping too late can mean missing sap that might mean the difference between breaking even and losing after last summer’s drought.

But anyway, here we come. Like most of the items in the supermarket, most consumers are totally ignorant of the amount of work it takes to get Maple from the tree to the shelf. My quest, started slowly in 2009 is to appreciate Maple by exploring and sharing my findings with others via (mostly) photojournalism. I have now visited at least 52 Maple Farms, including at least 27 in 2016. That year I lucked out – the traditional Northern New England Maple Weekend of the last weekend in March fell on Easter. New Hampshire decided to have their festival the week before, Maine kept their regular date, and Vermont celebrated the weekend after. This year, since Easter is April 16, all of the northern New England states will be having their open houses on the weekend of March 25th and 26th. I don’t see when Massachusetts will be having a weekend though there is a “Maple Month Kickoff” on March 6th with the Governor in Fitchburg. Maybe I need to head south this year.

In the meantime, before I can get out and shoot (photographs), I am determined to finish the blog posts that I didn’t get up last year. I have a series of photos explaining the tapping process and more Sugarhouse 2016 photos from Vermont. I need to find a new place where I can put my book “Sweet Adventures” up for sale as Blurb requires it to be updated too often. I also plan to make maple photos available on Fine Art America. These photos are also also available as items such as phone cases, shower curtains and tote bags. If you see a photo you like and want an item not listed, let me know and I can make it available. May this sweet season be more productive than anticipated!

Saphouse Adventures 2016

2016 has been a wild and crazy Maple Adventure Year for me. I have visited many farms, most of them open, and have taken an abundance of photos. The intention is to do individual posts on some of these farms and other adventures, but here is a quick overview of the farms themselves.

RootSeller 03-12-16P -45 The Root Seller/Comte Family Farm, Nottingham, NH (Saturday, March 12, 2016)

Folsoms 03-12-16P Maple -145 Folsom’s Sugar House, Chester, NH (Saturday, March 12, 2016)

Maplewood Farm, Lebanon, ME (Sunday, March 13, 2016)

(Only stopped to take photos – wasn’t open for visitors)

Thurson and Peters Sugarhouse (TAPS), Newfield, ME (Sunday, March 13, 2016)

(not a new farm for me*)

Old Orchard Farm 03-15-16P -2 Old Orchard Farm, Madbury, NH (Tuesday, March 15, 2016)

(Only stopped to take photos – wasn’t open for visitors)

Spring Harvest Maple Farm, Barrington, NH (Saturday, March 19, 2016 – NH Maple Weekend)

(my neighbor – not a new farm for me)

Rising Sweetness Sugar Shack, New Durham, NH (Saturday, March 19, 2016 – NH Maple Weekend)

Shepherd’s Hut 03-19-16P Maple -2 Shepherd’s Hut Market/Ramblin’ Vewe Sheep Farm, Gilford, NH (Saturday, March 19, 2016 – NH Maple Weekend)

This Sugar Shack was along the way and I really wanted to check it out but it didn’t advertise that it was open. It might have been in Loudon

Windswept 03-19-16P Maple -5 Windswept Maples Farm, Loudon, NH (Saturday, March 19, 2016 – NH Maple Weekend)

Ridgeland Farm 03-19-16P Maple -11 Ridgeland Farm, Loudon, NH (Saturday, March 19, 2016 – NH Maple Weekend)

Journeys End 03-19-16P Maple -8 Journey’s End Maple Farm, Pittsfield, NH (Saturday, March 19, 2016 – NH Maple Weekend)

Matras Family Farm, Pittsfield, NH (Saturday, March 19, 2016 – NH Maple Weekend)

Beautiful Pen and Ink prints by Gene Matras available here

Hilltop Boilers 03-20-16P Maple-13 Hilltop Boilers, Newfield, ME (Sunday, March 20, 2016)

(not a new farm for me*)

Saphound 03-20-16P Maple-1 Sap Hound Maple Company, Brownfield, ME (Sunday, March 20, 2016)

Turkey Street Maples, Chocorua, NH (Sunday, March 20, 2016 – NH Maple Weekend)

Triple C Farm, Lyman, ME (Saturday, March 26, 2016 – Maine Maple Weekend)

Douston 03-26-16N -7 Douston Maple and Honey, Arundel, ME (Saturday, March 26, 2016 – Maine Maple Weekend)

(Only stopped to take photos – wasn’t open for visitors)

Cooper’s Maple Products, Windham, ME (Saturday, March 26, 2016 – Maine Maple Weekend)

Nash Valley Farm, Windham, ME (Saturday, March 26, 2016 – Maine Maple Weekend)

Merrifield Farm, Gorham, ME (Saturday, March 26, 2016 – Maine Maple Weekend)

Pingree Maple Products, Cornish, ME (Saturday, March 26, 2016 – Maine Maple Weekend)

Rocky M Farm, Porter, ME (Saturday, March 26, 2016 – Maine Maple Weekend)

Willette’s Maple Syrup, Porter, ME (Saturday, March 26, 2016 – Maine Maple Weekend)

Lost Cabin Sugar Bush, Limington, ME (Saturday, March 26, 2016 – Maine Maple Weekend)

Morin’s Maple Syrup, Limerick, ME (Sunday, March 27, 2016 – Maine Maple Weekend)

Maple Hill Sugarhouse (formerly Sugar Hill), Limerick, ME (Sunday, March 27, 2016 – Maine Maple Weekend)

(not a new farm for me*)

Maplehouse Farm, Waterboro, ME (Sunday, March 27, 2016 – Maine Maple Weekend)

Giles Farmily Farm, Alfred, ME (Sunday, March 27, 2016 – Maine Maple Weekend)

(not a new farm for me*)

Maple Moon 03-27-16P maple-5 Maple Moon Farm, Lebanon, ME (Sunday, March 27, 2016 – Maine Maple Weekend)

*I brought Mom & Dad along on my Sunday Maple Adventures this year. We revisited farms that they had heard about and wanted to see.

Many Maine Farms do not have websites or FaceBook pages

Saphouse Adventures

Harris Farm, Dayton, Maine (April 2009)

This was the first Saphouse I ever visited. They have a full farm with CSA and glass bottled milk. Here I learned the connection between types of trees with soil type. When I visited they were collecting with buckets and plastic collecting bags. They have been in business long enough to have a maple grove with planted trees.

Giles Family Farm, Alfred, Maine (March 2010)

Giles is known for their apples and maple. They have a store they call the Farmers Market. Their Saphouse and orchards are at the Notre Dame Monastery which also has a wonderful bakery. I loved to see multiple generations here. Giles collects on site with tubing but has buckets around town including on the lawn of the courthouse.

Thurston and Peters Sugar House, Newfield, Maine (March 2011, February 2016)

I spent a lot of time initially at TAPS and more time recently as Harry loves to tell stories and I love to listen. Harry and Deb are retired educators who built their dream Sugar House on land on the side of Bond Mountain that was last sugared in 1948 and had also been a ski slope. This was the first place I saw Reverse Osmosis (RO) used and the only place I’ve found maple soft-serve ice cream.

Formerly Sugar Hill, now Maple Hill Sugar House, Newfield, Maine (March 2011)

This farm is run by Ashley and Leah Gerry. I think Ashley said he started sugaring when he was 6 years old. The Sugar House is well thought out and features a log tram that runs on a rail from the pile outside to the firebox inside. The yard is filled with maple memorabilia. They collect mainly with lines but the kids have buckets.

Hilltop Boilers, Newfield, Maine (March 2012)

Hilltop Boilers is down the street from 19th Century Willowbrook Village in Newfields. When I went they were collecting in buckets. They do Maine Maple Weekend big with live music and farm animals. In 2016, Wildlife Encounters will also be on site.

Remick Country Doctor Museum & Farm, Tamworth, New Hampshire (March 2012)

Remick Farm Museum is a magical place that does wonderful sugaring history in the museum but especially does wonderful sugar living history on Maple Weekend. They demonstrate the hot stone method of evaporation used by the Native Americans, have the multiple trade-kettle set-up of the pioneers and have a beautiful large Sugar Shack. The museum is well worth the price of admission and they also have many walking trails.

MeadowView Sugarhouse, Union, New Hampshire (March 2013)

MeadowView Sugarhouse is owned by Nick and Cindy Kosko and is just off route 16 in Union. Cindy is a 6th-grade teacher who loves to educate those who visit their business. They have been winners at the Deerfield Fair for their maple sugar and maple cream.

Spring Harvest Maple Farm, Barrington, New Hampshire (yearly since March 2011)

Spring Harvest is my local guy, Josh, and his wife Lisa. Josh collects using tubing in his Sugarbush just around the corner and has been very patient with me tagging along as he taps, maintains his lines, and shuts down for the season. Last year Spring Harvest won best “Dark Robust” Syrup at MapleRama, a rather prestigious designation since he was competing against Syrup Makers not only from the U.S. but also from Canada. I personally feel that this syrup is the best but recognize the fact that I’m biased. Josh also provides syrup for the Barrington Fire Department’s Pancake Breakfast on the Saturday morning of Maple Weekend.

Meader’s Maple Sugar House, Rochester, New Hampshire (yearly since March 2013)

Christine Meader has continued the family tradition of Sugaring, occasionally using the Belgian Horses her family is known year-round for (usually using the tractor). She uses buckets and works hard to help visitors know what they are getting and how it is made. She recently got married and now Jonathan is a fully trained Syrup maker. Christine usually sells out of the maple facial scrub she produces.

I love the wonderful log cabin Sugar House with the Horses in the yard. There is an old blacksmith shop, memorabilia from years past at the farm, and the Store that sells horse equipment and other things.

Sanborn Hope Farm, Rochester, New Hampshire (March 2014)

Sanborn Hope Farm seems to hide on Peaslee Road in Rochester but is known for their quality veggies, meat, and baked goods; they offer a CSA. This is also a family farm, continuing into its fourth generation.

11 Price Farm 03-29-14N Maple-35 Price Farm, Gilmanton, New Hampshire

Price is more well-known for their dairy farm. I happened to see the Sugar House boiling while driving elsewhere on New Hampshire Maple Weekend and stopped. Mr. Price allowed me in and made me welcome. The Price family has been sugaring since about 1860.

Fillion Maple Farm, Gilmanton, New Hampshire (March 2014)

Jeff and Cindy Fillion run a sweet little farm with maple and goats. They have a nice gift shop including pottery and hand-made goatmilk soap. I bought the maple soda made nearby I think with Fillion syrup. Jeff claims that he started sugaring when he was about waist high.

Still Seeking Farm, Gilmanton, New Hampshire (March 2014)

Still Seeking is an organic farm selling at local farmers markets. I had a wonderful discussion with Keith about soil health and nutrients. The only downside of this farm was the mud although their blog states that they have since moved the Saphouse closer to the road. The Saphouse and Barn were both built of lumber milled by the owners on the property.

Pearl & Sons Farm, Loudon, New Hampshire (March 2014)

Pearl Farm was the largest maple farm I had been to at this point in time. It was one of the original maple farms on Loudon Ridge but there are now at least five. It is large enough that they Reverse Osmosis the sap lower on the ridge before transport to decrease the amount that they truck back to the evaporator. They have the ability to produce 100 finished gallons of syrup per hour. It isn’t the prettiest farm but the Pearls are real farmers who care for their land (as do all the maple farmers I have met).

Maple Ridge Sugar House, Loudon, New Hampshire (March 2014)

When I visited Maple Ridge I spoke with Miranda. She is the third generation here and seems to be the primary maple farmer. This is a large modern facility that was hosting a company outing on the morning of the day I visited. Miranda, who took over the farm from her grandparents, was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic.

Bascom Family Farms, Alstead, New Hampshire (March 2015)

Don’t go to Bascom’s expecting to buy a bottle of syrup – they have everything but! They are the leading New England supplier of equipment for all things maple and a wholesaler of syrup and granulated maple sugar. They produce syrup sold by retailers such as Trader Joes and Remys. I called ahead to ask permission to take pictures and got a three-hour tour of the plant lead by Bruce Bascom himself (although I was told later that he didn’t show his pride and joy – the sugar production area). This was a wonderful lesson in the economics of maple. Bruce is the primary focus of the book, “Sugar Season”. The left end of this picture is offices and the saphouse, the right is processing and bottling.

Clark’s Sugarhouse, Langdon, New Hampshire (March 2015)

Clark’s is the first blue Saphouse I’ve been to. Clark’s has been sugaring maples since 1892. Alvin Clark is the current proprietor and is famous for a chart that he started in 1959 showing production dates and rates. It shows how sap has been running earlier and earlier each year, evidence of climate change. This chart has been recreated for use at the Boston Museum of Science (and is also a chapter in “Sugar Season”). Clark’s also raises Bison at Valley View Farm.

Belgian Meadows Farm, Lebanon, Maine (March 2015)

As the name implies, Steve and Johnna are known for their horses. They are a destination, offering a location for weddings and other events. They maintain quite a collection of horse-drawn vehicles and use them for hayrides or sleigh rides. I was a bit taken back when the gentlemen at the entrance said that it would cost $5 to enter the property for Maine Maple Weekend but certainly got my money’s worth. As I entered I passed the barn?, shed?, building where I was offered all I could eat pancakes with maple syrup. I had arrived late and missed the sleigh so I grabbed an ATV ride out to the sugar shack. This was a fun little building where Mike was demonstrating boiling and answering questions. I then walked on to the Bridal Suite Cabin where there were a Bluegrass band and cider donut holes. I rode back to the barn in the sleigh (after taking many pictures) past the Saw Mill and was invited down to the stable to see the girls un-tacked and turned out. Belgian Meadows is a working farm with pigs and chickens as well. (They will not be celebrating Maine Maple Weekend in 2016)

Chase Farms, Wells, Maine (March 2015)

I have passed this farm many times on my way to Laudholm and not realized what it was. It is a full working farm with vegetables, flowers, beef, pork and maple. They also have Belgian Horses that they use to collect the sap. Their saphouse is unique as it is part of their greenhouse. I’ve never seen a greenhouse with a cupola for the release of the steam.

Young Maple Ridge, North Sandwich, New Hampshire (March 2015)

Brad and Ida started this farm in Tamworth but moved to this new house in 2011. Both of the sets of In-laws help in collecting the buckets and running the shop. I think this was the first place I had Sugar on Snow. Their canner was less sophisticated than others – the heating source is all four burners of a gas stove.

Booty Family Farm, Center Sandwich, New Hampshire (March 2015)

This farm was not listed on the NH Maple Producers website but was along the way. I stopped, took (award winning) photos of the sap buckets and went inside – they were very hospitable. Although this is a certified organic vegetable farm that sells at farmers markets, they have not felt that organic maple was worth the pursuit at this time. This is a picturesque little sugar house with a very small evaporator. Diane served me hot maple sap in mugs handmade by a family member and wanted to buy my book (which hadn’t been published yet).

SP’s Sugar Shack, Center Ossipee, New Hampshire (March 2015)

This is the first place I have seen collecting with a snowmobile. This makes sense, especially with the amount of snow this season. There is a tank in the trailer and another mounted on the back of the seat. Sean is very proud of his house and has many inventions that have made syrup production easier or safer for him. He has a splash guard on the evaporator, a keg mounted above that stores water that gets heated during syrup production, and a canner fabricated from a pan purchased at a restaurant supply company and heated by a Coleman stove. He also has a lid for the evaporator to keep critters out when it’s not being used.

Ten Rod Farm, Rochester, New Hampshire (March 2015)

Matt Scruton is from a long line of Rochester farmers. He and his wife Gretchen purchased this historic farm to continue the family tradition. This is their first year doing maple and they have their evaporator in the tractor shed. They purchased the evaporator but created the arch (fire-box). Matt collects with a tractor in a new plastic tank but his grandfather’s tin tank stands off to the side watching with pride. They have mostly Red Maples off the back of the fields but has a wonderful old Sugar Maple Tree behind the barn.

Good Olde Boys Maple Syrup, Strafford, New Hampshire (March 2015)

I believe this house is a new one for the Guys and is the first one I’ve seen with a red roof. They seem to have a “Man Cave” in the room next to the evaporator complete with satellite dish. The evaporator is very long and narrow (though I see they got a new one Dec 2015). Someone enjoys cooking with maple – they have a number of maple products such as salsa and spaghetti sauce for sample and sale.

Maplehouse Farm, Waterboro, Maine (April 2015)

I have not yet seen this house while it was working but watch it with interest.

Davis (?) Sugar Shack, Strafford, New Hampshire (October 2015)

Mary Tebo Davis is an Environmental Educator with the NH Cooperative Extension. I met her through the Barrington Conservation Commission. Her husband Paul is Assistant Headmaster at Coe-Brown Academy. I discovered Paul’s new house when I went to their annual yard sale. Although the evaporator is within, it has not yet been installed. This is another one I will watch with interest.

And the adventures will continue…

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