It's in the Barrel - Syrup Season 2023
Our Best Life
Saturday was our penultimate day of boiling and we all knew it. Thoughts of making more syrup woke me up and as it tends to happen, I realized I had something to say to all of you. As I wrote this newsletter, it occurred to me that I may not pen your typical farm newsletter. I don’t bring the farmer’s perspective to this blog, I bring the perspective of three middle-aged women who either made a good or foolish decision to buy a maple farm. I write about what might be self-evident to lifelong farmers and maybe I overshare some of the hard bits of farming – because farming is hard. JP recently told me, “if it was easy, everyone would farm.” It is not lost on me that he waited 3 years after we bought the farm to share that particular gem. But you know what? I love it. I am exhausted, sore, humbled by some of my really poor decision making, and happier than I have ever been.
The three of us in all our post-season glory!
It’s in the Barrel
Our last boil was bittersweet, as last boils tend to be. We have all worked hard and sometimes around the clock so we are tired. But collecting sap and boiling is the very heart of the process. While our energy level changes during the season, so does the syrup. As the season ends, the bacteria build up in the sap and the trees start to bud, changing the smell and taste of the syrup. All season long, the smell of boiling produces a sweet smell. Late season syrup has a different smell that some describe as clove, caramel, or vanilla. This late season syrup is what we use to make my favorite syrup, the very dark strong. We sure made some amazing syrup this year!
The last puff of steam leaves the sugarhouse. It looks a lot different than it did a week ago. Where did all that snow go?
Syrup Season and Basketball
Sugaring is much like March Madness (the college basketball tournament). At the beginning of March, you are asked to predict who will be the national champion. The odds of getting this right (or having a perfect bracket) are astronomical or essentially impossible. The same is true with predicting the sugaring season. This year, like both the men’s and the women’s bracket, has been impossible to predict. January was too warm, February was without snow, and March was mayhem! As a lifelong UConn fan, I take the ups (men's championship) with the downs (women's early exit), and whatever happens, I know we all tried our hardest. Unlike sports, sugaring produces only winners and it may have been hard and unpredictable, but it was another great year. Enjoy spring, it is a season full of possibilities.
I believe it is now considered insensitive to refer to something coming to an end in terms of a rotund female singing an aria. Around the farm, it ain’t over till the frogs start singing. If you look closely you can see frogs in the pond. Their calls were deafening on our last boil.
Come See Us
Farmers markets and fairs and festivals are only a month or so away. Our season starts at the Connecticut Sheep, Wool, & Festival at the North Haven Fairgrounds on April 29th. We are really looking forward to being the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival at the Howard County Fairgrounds in West Friendship on May 6th & 7th. Our local farmers markets start in late April and eraly May. Come visit us at the Amherst and Great Barrington Farmers Markets until mid November. Check out our website for where to find us.