Local farms welcome Maple Weekend

Maple Weekend is Saturday and Sunday, March 21-22, and New Hampshire Maple Producers Association members have sugar shacks regionally, and statewide, for visitors to learn about the process, as well as farmstands offering tastings, jugs of syrup, maple candies and more.

Smith Farm Stand

Maggie Savage is a fifth-generation maple syrup producer, and she and her husband, Alex, have spent the last month hard at work in the sap house, located behind the residence of Smith Farm Stand, in Gilford. Over Maple Weekend, Savage will be there giving out samples and explaining the process each day from 1 to 4 p.m.

“We’ll have syrup samples with some plain donuts for dipping,” Savage said. “We’ll show people how it all works.”

Savage’s parents have lived on the property since the 1970s, and before that her grandfather ran the operation, which dates back about 80 years. Her father used to live on nearby Morrill Street, so they would walk up to the sap house, which didn’t have lights or plumbing. It still doesn’t have running water, but it does have electricity.

Her parents built the house in the late 1970s, which changed the process a bit. It was once all buckets, but they have since used tubing for the process. They have also gone from using tractors to transport sap and other materials, to having the sap pumped straight up to the shack.

“Over the years, we’ve gotten a little more mechanized,” she said.

Savage also works at Gunstock Mountain Resort part-time, who she thanked for being flexible. She said the last few days, there has been more than 1,000 gallons of sap daily, almost impossible to keep up with.

“We are here from 9 to 9 at night, boiling away,” Savage said.

The process is completely weather-dependent, but the snow cover and cold winter made it a little late this year. For this area, most taps are installed in mid-February, but the warm spell pushed things along a bit.

“Luckily, we still had the snow cover, because if we didn’t, it could have killed the season,” Savage said. “Once it gets too warm, the buds on the trees come out and it makes the flavor off. It would make not-so-great-tasting syrup.”

The goal for Smith Farm is to make about 130 gallons of maple syrup per year, and right now, they've boiled about 100 gallons. The end of their process could be as soon as this weekend.

Savage said they have 450 taps on their property, with some trees tapped up to three times, and this can be done over two days. Generally, they tap sugar maples and rock maples, and try to tap when they see sapping weather: 25 degrees at night, and 45 degrees during the day. There is tubing left up year-round, replaced every five years. They now use a vacuum system to help the sap run more consistently, which runs best when it is above 35 degrees.

“That’s the old standard,” Savage said. “With the vacuum it can be a little cooler, but you want the freeze/thaw. Sap goes down to the tree roots when it freezes, and when it warms, it shoots up.”

Smith Farm Stand has two collection tanks on the property, one 400 gallon and one 600 gallon, and dump lines send sap to two other tanks that hold about 1,000 gallons adjacent to the sap house. Pipes run it into the sap house and into the evaporator, coming from the backside into what is called a “steam away.”

“Sap is between 2% and 4% sugar, and syrup is 66% sugar, so the goal is to eliminate water,” she said.

Smith Farm Stand sells the syrup onsite throughout the summer months, which is a hit for people who come by for raspberry and blueberry picking.

“My parents have a lot of old customers and family who have bought it over the years,” Savage said. “We’ve very old-fashioned. I told a guy yesterday who stopped by, 'Call my mother and say what you want, and my mother will leave it on a picnic table with a coffee can to leave your money.'”

They don’t really have online sales, but Smith Farm Stand has shipped syrup across the country, since New England syrup is widely regarded as being the best.

Savage said this is a tradition she and her family have always loved, and while the cold temperatures don’t exactly show it yet, it is a sure sign spring is here.

Smith Farm Stand is at 15 Smith Farm Road, in Gilford. For more information, visit facebook.com/SmithFarmStandNH.

Lakes Region maple syrup producers

Prescott Farm Environmental Education Center in Laconia on White Oaks Road is offering 90-minute maple syrup making activities on Saturday, which include tree-tapping and taste-testing syrup. The Tap Into Maple Program all kicks off at 10 a.m., and guests at the farm will learn how to identify maple trees, learn about different parts of the trees, and how sap is turned into syrup.

There is one class inside to start the day, and the rest involve walking the grounds of the farm to take in the learning experience. For those walking the property to the sugar house, dress accordingly, as it is a 20-minute walk with potential for snow or wet conditions. More information can be found at prescottfarm.org.

Ramblin’ Vewe Farm at 637 Morrill St., in Gilford, is participating in Maple Weekend, and manager Jeff Keyser will be available to chat about the sugar house onsite from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.

Ramblin’ Vewe is mainly about sheep, chickens and growing and selling hay, but this time of year, they also have a small maple operation. The Shepherd’s Hut Market is run by Keyser’s wife, Joyce, where they sell eggs, lamb, yard, wool blankets, other food items, and of course, maple syrup. Products are normally sold out of the farmhouse during the winter, but the store will be open for Maple Month. Log on to ramblinvewefarm.org for more information.

Bigfoot Maple Products is running a March Maple Open House from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, at 166 Loon Pond Road, in Gilmanton. The free event at Loon Pond Farm gives people a chance to check out the operation, as well as buy maple syrup, waffles, maple milkshakes, cotton candy, and other merchandise.

Tours will be given every hour, and there will also be Bigfoot calls at 1 p.m. People can also participate in scavenger hunts and try out the maple treats and syrup from their boil this month. The event is also serving as a celebration of 250 years of the United States of America. Log on to loonpondfarm.com for additional information.

Sunnyside Maples, located at 1089 Route 106 North in Loudon, will have a food truck and live music on Saturday and Sunday, and people can come by and see how maple syrup is made. They will also be selling syrup and other maple products like maple cream, mustard, and seasonings. Sunnyside Maples is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Brooks Family Sugar House is in Freedom, and on Saturday and Sunday, there will be tours, pancakes, homemade maple syrup, and other fun family activities between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Maple syrup will be available in glass and plastic bottles, and other items will be available for purchase. For more information, visit brooksfamilysugarhouse.com.

If you want to take a trip toward the White Mountains, head up Interstate 93 to exit 38 for Polly’s Pancake Parlor in Sugar Hill. This restaurant is open year-round, and specializes in famous breakfast items like pancakes, waffles and French toast made from scratch. They also offer soups and sandwiches for lunch, and ice cream, pies, and other desserts. Information can be found at pollyspancakeparlor.com.