What a fantastic day it turned out to be for Lapeer County Farm Bureau’s inaugural Maples & Miles SxS Maple Syrup Tour.
Newbegin Maple Syrup in Clifford is where the lot of us gathered and geared up for a sweet adventure. More on Newbegin in a sec.
As the line of side-by-sides, ATVs and other vehicles approached our first stop, Maple View Farm, the sweet, humid air of maple syrup-making welcomed us with its distinct aroma the closer we got.
The Walker family put generations of heart and soul into the construction of their sugar house. Lance Walker shared the history of the operation during a tour of their process. Awestruck by the attention to detail and our hosts’ craftmanship, we got an up-close scent-sation as we toured.
With the sun shining down, our next stop was Elm Creek Maple Syrup, where Curt Coulter, his friends and family proudly make syrup in a more traditional fashion.
The process takes longer without reverse osmosis, requiring close attention and a lot of wood to fire the evaporator. One taste of their sweet golden syrup, though — still warm from the spigot — was a hit with the kids and the kids-at-heart!
The prospect of pancakes was on our mind, and our bellies were rumbling as we rolled into our final stop — back where we began, at Newbegin Maple Syrup.
Lapeer County Young Farmer and board member Matt Newbegin organized the event, showed off his operation in full production mode: The Newbegin sugar bush was churning out syrup at an exceptional rate due to this spring’s perfectly wild temperature swings. And when the sap’s running this time of year, the operation presses on even with nearly 100 hungry syrup enthusiasts ready for their taste!
At last, the hard-working volunteers cooked up some expertly flipped hotcakes and savory sausage — the perfect canvas for some maple-syrup indulgence!
In the end it was a beautiful and fun coming-together of farms, families, friends and volunteers — all enjoying the fun, education, introductions and some sweet, sweet rewards.
We’ll see you again next year, Matt; until then, keep the syrup flowing!
Teresa Hersha-Duco is the Administrative Manager for the Lapeer County Farm Bureau.
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