Well folks, even though we are very sad to admit it, the sugaring season is over. The funky weather has confused the trees so much (not to mention ourselves) that they have shut off.
If you are reading this today (Sunday March 28th), and are in the neighborhood, come on up to the sugar house for the last boil of 2010. While there is no sap to boil there is still some in pans and that needs to be cleaned out before we can put away the evaporator for the summer.

So come on up today for one last soak in the steam. Even though today is the last boil anyone is welcome to come stop by the farm anytime to see our many very cute lambs and the sugar house always is stocked with syrup and now spinach! If you don't find what you are looking for come up to the second house and we will be happy to assist you.

Quick survey: is this a goat or a sheep?

Spring has Sprung! (or has it??)

Even though astronomically speaking it is now officially spring, the weather man seems determined to tell us otherwise. Or maybe its Mother Natures early April Fool's day joke. The cold weather that is haunting Sandwich,NH might possibly bring the sugaring back for a day or two! If that does not happen and the cold air still comes in, there is not much planting we can be doing except in trays that stay in the house. Stephen and I are able to keep busy with the routine maintenance of the farm like cleaning the barnyard up and lifting the garden shed up off the ground with the tractor and putting beams under it to save it from the usual wear of time and water flowing under all summer long. The whole washing station area next to it is now completely raised up and ready for summer to come and with that endless hours of washing.

However! The plants in the ground seem impatient to come out and are popping out all over the place! The garlic(as seen in the picture!) has already come up several inches!

Don't forget there is plenty of syrup for sale in the sugar house as well as fresh picked spinach that overwintered just beautifully!

Miracle anyone?

Today Stephen and I collected all 537 buckets and got about 80 gallons of sap which will most likely create a little more Grade B syrup. Unless the cold weather predicted for the next few days and weekend brings us a miracle and starts the sap running again, this really is the end of the 2010 sugaring. The last few steps to really wrap it up will be to take down all the buckets and wash them. Probably one of our favorite parts of sugaring.
For those of you who are itching for some real signs of spring, since the weather no longer feels like it, there is fresh spinach in the sugar house for sale! It overwintered in the ground spectacularly and tastes delicious!

While the weather has pretty much stopped the sugaring season, the farm is heading full steam(or close to it) into the rest of the farm spring business. Yesterday was more logging to get rid of the trees that would have shaded the new greenhouse spot. This morning a couple of sheep got their spring haircuts which will make them all clean and white for at least one day. The other sheep have finally stopped teasing the newly sheared ones and seemed to have let it go. More planting over the next few days and next weekend is bucket washing we think. Although bucket washing may sound as tedious as washing the dishes it really is not and we always seem to fill the air with soap bubbles, good(and bad) music, flying buckets, and always laughter. If you are driving around the neighborhood next weekend and see or hear any of the above stop on in; its even more amusing than watching us dancing in the sugar house while boiling. :)
Happy now officially spring everyone!

While yesterday might have possibly been our last boil for the 2010 sugar season, Stephen and an amazing family friend of ours are outside cutting down a few trees in order to make it possible to put up our third greenhouse without it being in the shade. Hopefully we will be able to get that up in the next few weeks and have it ready for when we plant our tomatoes! In no time at all the gardens will be sprouting with amazing green things for one and all to come up and visit.

Spring is in the air! uh oh!

Well folks, the sugaring season is most likely coming to a close this week. While the weather for next week is predicted to be colder than this week, the buds are coming out on the maples and it will be a little to late. Have no fear though! For those among you who crave that ever so good Grade B maple syrup: we made some yesterday that is exceptionally tasty! (available in all sizes!)

Even though we are sad to have the sugar season go, this early spring means we can get a jump on planting in the greenhouses! Spinach, cutting lettuce, mesclun mix, onions, and leeks are in the greenhouses and already sprouting(photos coming soon!)

In true Far From the Madding Crowd (Thomas Hardy novel I highly recommend), today might be sheep shearing day. Time for those fluffy new moms to lose their winter coats and be (for one day at least) all shiny and white.

Green Sap?

Happy Saint Patrick's Day all!
In honor of St. Patty's Day I was thinking of turning the sap green but then decided that that probably wouldn't be good for the sap or the boiling process. Oh well, we will just have to do some Irish dancing while collecting and boiling later.

Just kidding

This warm weather, although fabulous for the gardens, is not so great for the sugaring season. We might be wrapping up soon but don't worry! We have syrup in all sizes in Dark Amber and Medium Amber so come on up to the sugar house. If steam is rising we are boiling and love to have visitors.

If we aren't boiling when you come up, we have a whole new flock of lambs in the barn who's fuzzy little faces will immediately make you fall in love with them.

Long winter...

The sap is flowing and we are boiling almost daily! The season is completely dependent on the weather and it looks like we are going to have a great week for sugaring... If you see steam coming from the sugar house stop on by for a visit!