Our First Maple Syrup Season

Spring in Vermont means one thing on our farm: maple season.

Tapping Day

We started tapping in early March when the nights were still dipping below freezing but the days were creeping above 40°F — the perfect conditions for sap flow. Our first year goal was 500 taps, and we hit that number right on schedule.

The Learning Curve

We won't pretend it was all smooth. Setting up the tubing lines across hilly terrain was harder than we expected, and we had a few leaks to chase down in the first week. But once the system was dialed in, the sap started flowing beautifully.

From Sap to Syrup

It takes roughly 40 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of maple syrup. That's a lot of boiling. Our evaporator has been running almost nonstop during the peak flow days, and the sugarhouse smells incredible.

What's Next

We're planning to expand to 1,000 taps next season as we open up more of our maple forest. We're also experimenting with maple candy and maple cream for the farmstand.

More updates to come as the season wraps up!