Photo supplied.
There will be many syrup samples during the annual Maple event next week.
A group of local Maple Syrup producers are joining forces to host another Maple Day on April 7th.
All participating producers will open the doors to their sugar shacks between the hours of 10:00 am and 4:00 pm and invite you to come with your family to walk a sugar bush and watch as they transform maple sap into a nutritious and delicious natural sweetener. Boots are recommended, as conditions will likely be damp in the woods.
With a sweeping southeast exposure along the Oak Ridge Moraine, Johnston’s sugar bush is located at 10704 County Rd. 28 just off the southeast corner of the township. Maple products are just one of the many locally produced food items that Craig and Marrisa Johnston sell at their market stand which is open most of the year. This family operated farm welcomes visitors to come out and explore the sugar house, maple production practices and demonstrations, sampling maple products and the green house.
Puddleduck Farm, operated by Merridy Senior and Eben Hancock, produce maple products from sap drawn from the Kennedy sugar bush located south of the village of Millbrook on County Rd. 10. They sell their syrup, maple butter and maple candies from their farm on Glamorgan Rd. and at the Millbrook Farmers’ Market.
The Red Mill Maple Sugar Shack located at 1232 Deyell Line will be serving up maple treats a la quebecoise, serving crepes, maple taffy on snow and hot maple sap for those who love pure sweetness! A tour of our property and installation will also be given.
J&K Sugar Shack, operated by Joan and Keith Schultz, is another small family run business at 3804 Challice Line south of Millbrook. They began producing for their own consumption but soon turned their maple syrup operation into a small business.
Squirrel Creek Farm’s Syrup by Siblings is operated by the 4th generation of syrup producers in the family. Weather permitting, visitors to this operation located on Brackenridge Dr. west of Bailiboro will see sap turned into syrup using traditional wood heat.
Staples Maple Syrup is an award winning, federally inspected producer harvesting sap from 3600 taps on their family farm on Hwy 7A between Cavan and Bethany. The Stapes family has been making maple syrup on the farm since 1813, but their production methods are anything but antiquated. The wood stove has been replaced by an industrial sized oil-fired steel evaporator and a sophisticated reverse osmosis system. Try some delicious homemade treats when you stop by to see this sugar shack in action.
Another long-time syrup produce is Woodleigh Farms operated by the Winslow family. This active, 4th generation farm is located at 528 Sharpe Line Cavan, and added maple syrup production to their operation in 1988. Visit their syrup house and sample some unusual maple treats.
New on the tour this year are Clancy and Gale’s Maple Products located at 542 Waite Rd. in Pontypool and Sweet Maple Farm Sweet Maple Farm owned by Ray and Janet Ripley with 1000 taps run by Steve Lawrence at 5720 10th Line in Hope Township.
To keep your energy up, make sure to attend the Pancake Breakfast running at the Millbrook Legion from 8 to 11 am. The breakfast will feature maple syrup donated by some of these local producers over a fresh stack of pancakes made by the Ladies’ Auxiliary.
Persistent cold weather has hampered the maple season, and producers are keeping their fingers crossed for maple-friendly weather with mild days and cool nights to get the sap flowing to give a much-needed boost to their production. On April 7th, spend some time with a few of our local producers to see how maple syrup is made and secure your own stash of fresh, local maple syrup products. KG
