Maple Syrup is Running.
This entry was posted on 4/4/2008 7:43 PM and is filed under Photo Trips.
Sap buckets and barn in Pomfret, Vermont.
Yesterday, I made the drive up to Woodstock, Vermont to pitch a couple of new book ideas to the publisher of our book, The Colors of Fall (The Countryman Press.) There's really no need to actually make the trip in person these days, but I love having the excuse to make the 2 1/2 hour drive. It's just one of those iconic parts of New England. Of course, early April is a tough time to do scenic photography in northern New England. The snow is melting and less than fresh looking, the trees are bare, and the mud is deep. The one compelling activity going on is maple syrup production, and this week proved to be a good week for it as the weather cooperated to make some strong sap flows (the sap runs best when temps get below freezing at night, but warm up during the day.)
Sugarbush Farm in Woodstock, Vermont.
About ten minutes up a hill along a muddy road from downtown Woodstock brings you to Sugarbush Farm. I've visited the farm before to buy some of their delicious aged cheddar cheese (I'm fond of the 4-year old sharp cheddar,) but I had never been there during sugaring season. Luckily, they had about 600 gallons of sap to boil when I got there. The black smoke is from the wood fire used to heat the sap. The white smoke is steam from the water evaporating off the sap.
Ralph Luce tends the fire in the evaporator.
Sugarbush Farm is owned by the Luce Family. Ralph and his brother Jeff are the third generation of Luce's to work on the farm and they were kind enough to let me hang out in the sugar house for an hour so and take some pictures. On average it takes about 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup. This year, maple syrup is running up around $50.00 a gallon due to high worldwide demand and the higher cost of diesel fuel.
Bucket o' syrup.
Sap buckets on sugar maples lining a dirt road in Pomfret, Vermont.
It's not called mud season for nothing. The dirt roads in New England from late March through May can be tough to drive on. My all wheel drive Subaru wagon seems to make it on most of the roads (I haven't gotten stuck yet,) but it rides a little lower than I'd like. Last year, I scraped a hole in my muffler visiting sugar houses in Vermont. By the way, if want to see last year's sugar house photos, check out Sweet Spring in New England.
Well, that was a fun afternoon. Now I just have to make some pancakes!
Until next time...
-Jerry