Strong and Sweet
There are many reasons that we decided to become farmers late in life and we each have individual reasons. My motivation was mostly for quality-of-life and I have written a lot about how amazing life on the farm is. I also thought farming would be good for my health and require a lot of physical activity – like a mandatory gym membership. I can confirm that I now have a mandatory gym membership. I feel healthier and stronger and I am acutely aware of the many different muscle groups in the body and the functions they perform. Farmers market muscles are very different from sugaring muscles, which are not quite the same as wood splitting muscles. As we boiled for the first time this season, I could feel myself getting stronger and those muscles coming to life. Oh yes, I could definitely feel those muscles! Day 2 of collecting sap and boiling reminded me of backpacking days; that second day when you put on your pack and wondered if that much discomfort could possibly be normal. As in backpacking, my body has settled in, made some adjustments, and allowed me to marvel at the seasonal miracle.
No gym machine uses these muscles
It’s a bit early…
I have a clear memory of last year at this time. The days were warm and nights were cold. Perfect sugaring weather. Kelly would say, “the sap must be running” and it was. We missed the early run and then a March blizzard shut us down. To say that Kelly obsessed about the weather this year would be an understatement – I am glad she did. We have it on good authority that we were the first maple operation in Massachusetts to boil this year. Heading into February, we have made 280 gallons of syrup. A small (shall we call it boutique?) operation such as ours pays careful attention to those numbers and like any journey we calculate how close we are the final destination. We still have a long way to go before we will entertain, “are we there yet?” musings.
Eager to welcome more sap into "Bubbles" our evaporator
…but oh so good!
All three of us have a strong preference for late season syrup or the “very dark strong” syrup. I think we love the complexity – there is a lot going on in that sweetness. Yet, there is something indescribable about this January syrup we made. Hot, first of the season goodness. We catch each other tasting it – first just a taste, then a gulp. Something about being a little cold and a lot tired and that gulp of warm syrup is a shot of warm, delicious energy.
Warm early season syrup, is oh so good
The Weather
I am not one for predictability. I like change but believe that spontaneity has a time and place. I have heard that New England coined the phase, “if you don’t like the weather, wait 5 minutes and it will change.” That may be a fine sentiment in summer, but not winter. I remember being very frustrated as a kid when a Nor’easter would blow in, dump 6 inches of snow and then turn to rain. I am equally frustrated as an adult. Winter precipitation should come as snow in this part of the country. Maybe that is why we all loved Alaska so much – winter precipitation came as snow - sorry Anchorage, lots of snow. Good luck to all of you as we navigate this very unpredictable weather. Send us wishes for cold nights and chilly days – at least for 6 weeks more.
Kelly, in what we refer to as the "Science Corner," getting the sugar content (or brix) just right for bottling.
Just in Time
Have a wonderful February and a sweet Valentine's Day. In advance of Women's History Month (March) and International Women's day (March 8), we are welcoming Carhartt's and the Boston Beer Company to help us celebrate this all women owned farm!
Come See Us
We actually do have one more market this year. We will be at the Berkshire Grown Winter Market in Housatonic at the Housy Dome on Feb 17th from 10-2. Come see us.