The sweetest season

Maple in the County begins its twenty-first season

It was a relatively late start to the sweetest season of the year, but the County’s maple syrup producers are in full flight for Maple in the County on March 29 and 30. Colder temperatures through the latter half of February and into the first few days of this month meant that the maple trees were reluctant to start the sap flowing. The heavy snowfall also impeded access to the sugarbushes to get taps installed, further delaying the start. But now the combination of cool nights and warmer days have kickstarted the alchemy that yields the golden result of delicious maple syrup. Last Friday, five of the County’s maple syrup producers gathered at LOHA Farms to kick off the twenty-first season of Maple in the County.

Dean Foster is the chairperson of the group, having taken over from Ron Hubbs last year. He welcomed the attendees, which included Mayor Steve Ferguson and councillors Janice Maynard and Phil St-Jean. He said that this festival is recognized as one of the best in Ontario and it attracts visitors from many different regions. He noted that maple syrup production is almost unique as an agricultural practise. “One of the things I learned from Ron [Hubbs] is the fact that maple syrup is one of the few things that can be produced without destroying the host plant. Maple trees can produce food for over 150 years, without anything except removing some sap and making it into sugar. It really shows the importance of the maple tree to Canada, and to Prince Edward County,” he said. He kept his remarks short, noting that the day was perfect for sap collection, after a frosty night the day warming up. “This is one of the days that all producers are busy and the sap is really running, and everyone wants to get back.”

Some of the producers present spoke briefly about how their season has been going. Sue Vader said that their first boil was on March 5, about three weeks later than it was last year, but that they are off to a good start. “Maple in the County is an open invitation for people to stop by and connect with us, and it’s a great time to get together and showcase our many maple products. We look forward to it every year. It’s such a great event,” she said. Janice Hubbs noted that this will be their 48th year of offering a pancake breakfast, and this year Ackerman’s Acres Farmstand will be there with their homemade treats. While Hubbs Sugarbush has taken a break from sap collection this year, they have enough inventory of maple syrup to make their maple butter and maple candy, as well has having enough for the breakfast. “Spring is in the air, and we are excited get out into the fresh air and excited to see people come to our sugar bush,” she said. Chris Armstrong of LOHA Farms said that this year his son Oakley will be taking the lead in syrup production. The 20-year-old Oakley purchased a new evaporator to replace the 1940s-vintage one they had been using. The new evaporator is more energy-efficient, and when paired with their reverse-osmosis unit it will require far less firewood to produce the finished maple syrup.

Mayor Ferguson expressed his gratitude on behalf of Council to the County’s maple syrup producers. “Prince Edward County’s reputation for maple syrup production is really without peer. The event later this month is a great time to celebrate the product and the members of the community that produce it and who do so much to add to the reputation of Prince Edward County, This is a great festival,” he said. Councillor Janice Maynard said she has many fond memories of maple syrup season, and remembers being in her grandfather’s sugar bush as a child, helping to collect twigs to feed into the evaporator. Councillor Phil St-Jean shared the little-known fact that he once donned the Mabel the Maple mascot costume during his first Maple in the County as a newly elected member of Council. “This is the beginning of the agricultural season. It’s nice to get out there and celebrate what we do well in the County,” he said.

This year’s maple in the County is dedicated to the memory of Clifford Foster, who died last June. The mantle of “elder statesman of maple” has now been passed over to Mr. Hubbs. “My dad was proud of what we did, what we do, and we’re trying to carry on that tradition,” said Dean Foster. “This is the first year in my life, making syrup—and I’ve made syrup since I was five years old—that I haven’t given the first sample off the evaporator to my dad. It was a tradition. He knew syrup, he knew good syrup. And so I said to Ron, ‘Would you come down and take his place?’ and he said yes, and I appreciate that.”

There are five participating sugarbushes in this year’s Maple in the County: Fosterholm Farms, Vader’s Maple Syrup, Roblin’s Maple Syrup LOHA Farms, and Hubbs Sugarbush and Sweetwater Cabin. Visitors can tour a sap house, take a walk through the woods, enjoy maple taffy and pancake breakfasts, and see a lumberjack demonstration. Heal with Horses on Danforth Road in Hillier will also offer maple-themed events.