Filed under: April 2015 | Tags: face to face, information, paying it forward, sharing, Small Farming
My son and I in the sugarhouse
April 9, 2015
As I went through photos of this year’s maple syrup season, I found several of friends and family helping and visiting. It warms my heart as I realize that just like I enjoyed my grandpa’s operation, many folks enjoy mine. I am simply paying it forward. My grandparents showed me and answered my many questions. It took a while to learn it all and I have many others to thank, but their information was freely given and greedily absorbed.
Life is like this. Each one of us has skills and experience in different things. We owe it to each other to pass information along. We can enlighten, teach or perhaps just discuss the things we know. We all get too busy with all sorts of things, but time spent with family and friends is time well spent. This is especially true when the time is spent in person and face to face.
I will say that time and effort spent on the phone or via the internet has its place. I can talk with folks all over the world. Recently, I have had some good conversation with a man from Tennessee. Another friend, Paul, from New York and I discussed our maple season through text and pictures. Our world is indeed getting smaller, but the need for good, back to basic, small farm information has never been greater. Don’t hold back…pay it forward.
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RicelandMeadows 
I love to hear stories about people’s family’s. How long has your family been making maple syrup for?
Comment by Elder Bryce Dahl April 9, 2015 @ 8:15 pmMy grandparents started making maple syrup upon moving to their farm in the 1940,s. They were both killed in a tragic auto accident in February 1969, just before the maple season started that year…no syrup was made then because the years flowed more than the sap. Once things returned to normal, the maple production continued.
I started making maple syrup on this farm in 1993. In 2012, we started using our current sugarhouse. We have the ability to handle 2500 to 3000 taps. We are growing every year. Our goal next year is to be at 1200 to 1400 taps
Comment by ricelandmeadows April 11, 2015 @ 8:56 pmThat is super cool! Have you ever wondered about where your Grandparents have gone to after they passed?
Comment by Bryce Dahl April 14, 2015 @ 11:50 amNever wondered at all. John 3:16
Comment by ricelandmeadows April 18, 2015 @ 8:53 pmSo true Ralph! Love the black & white photo! Gives it a different “feel.”
Comment by Jacklyn April 10, 2015 @ 9:42 amThanks Jacklyn!
Comment by ricelandmeadows April 11, 2015 @ 8:47 pmHow long has your family been making maple syrup for? I believe a family is the greatest thing we have on this earth. I love families.
Comment by Bryce Dahl April 11, 2015 @ 2:40 pmBryce, I am a third generation sugarmaker. My sons are liking it and my grandchildren seem to enjoy the time spent in the woods and sugarhouse. Thank you for reading my blog. I hope you will follow us along!
Comment by ricelandmeadows April 11, 2015 @ 8:46 pm