My husband has been making syrup for almost 18 years at Bean Hill Farm. It has been a spring tradition and part of our yearly rhythm since we began dating. Although he has been boiling far longer than me, i have always grown up around it and love the process. The passion he has for it, well it's one of the many things i love about him.
We were married at the farm, almost three years ago, at the end of the raspberry rows overlooking the pond. It's my favorite place to go walking in the woods with charlie. We are so very close with John & Eliza, who own the farm. During the sugaring season last year, Jason and John talked about the future and how we would be able to keep making syrup when John was no longer. It was certainly weird to think about not making it over there, but after long discussions and decisions, we began our Maple Farm.
We have a few hundred taps in our woods, but the majority of our sap will still come from Bean Hill, across town. It's bittersweet to end a tradition that was so familiar, but also so exciting to be starting our own family spring traditions.
We'll be operating a bit more high tech than at Bean Hill. We bought our evaporator last spring, during the annual sale and began building last spring. John will be coming over and helping Jason next spring.
Time moves on; traditions grow and flourish.
Huckins Maple Farm will be boiling syrup next spring. Such an exciting thing to look forward to! Here is our progress from start to last weekend. We'll be busy until next spring!
