RicelandMeadows

March 31, 2026

Our 2026 maple season ended a couple days ago. It was a quirky, weird season for sure. The soft maple trees all budded out after just two sap runs, ending their contributions to our maple syrup total.

We gathered from the hard maples only, for five more runs. The syrup turned a little darker as the season headed towards its end, but the clarity and flavor held nicely.

The amount of sap we gathered was much less after the soft maples stopped, but luckily I had enough to boil each time, about 500 gallons, much less than our usual 1600-1800 gallons!

In any case, it was a short season but we are thankful for every drop we got. We got enough to fill all of our orders and still quite a bit to sell to others. I will call that a success.

Our manure storage is full. We need some nice dry weather to begin the job of spreading it on our fields. Magee, pictured here, is willing and able to help as soon as the mud subsides. I am ready for a new project too, but first, the big job of cleaning all the maple equipment began today.

Maple syrup season brings lots of work, but the reward is sweet! It is a labor of love and I do indeed love it. The visitors, the cold sap, the sloppy mud, the hot firebox under the boiling pans and the sweet maple syrup is engraved in my memory and on my heart. Memories made, memories repeated each season hold me close to my roots and the love of family. So, here’s to next year!