REGION — Many local producers will open their sap houses for the 42nd annual Maine Maple Sunday weekend March 22 and 23. Free samples, demonstrations, tours and other activities are some things that will be featured along with the opportunity to purchase meals, maple syrup and associated products.

The Franklin Journal spoke with several producers this week to learn more about their plans and what the season looks like for them.

James Black with Black Acres Farm LLC, 123 Black Road in Wilton noted the farm would be open 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday with barn and sap house tours available. Waffle sausage sticks made by his son will be new this year, along with familiar favorites, he said. When asked what the season is looking like, he replied, “It’s a little too early to tell. I think because of the lack of snow, the cold temperature did drive the frost down. There was almost two feet where we tried to dig a line recently. So I think it’s going to take a little bit of warm weather to get the roots thawed out, might delay a little bit, but I think it’ll be a regular year. I always tell people ask me in June.”

Rodney Hall of Hall Farms Maple Products, 8 Science Hill Road in Dixfield said they will open at 8 a.m. each day, probably be open until at least 2 p.m. depending on when people come. Free samples, including maple soft serve ice cream will be available. From 8 a.m. – noon Saturday two homemade donuts and coffee can be purchased for $5. A pancake breakfast for a fee will be held from 8 a.m. – noon Sunday and Pine View Farms will be providing hamburgers and cheeseburgers for a fee beginning at 10:30 a.m. “Boiling will start at 9 a.m. so long as Mother Nature cooperates,” he stated. “It’s a hard one to predict 10 days out. Frost is deeper, has made things slow. It’s still  awful, awful cold in the forest, it will take more than one or two days to warm up. It’s going to be a more traditional season. I think it’s going to be a good one. It’s going to be later, not later than average, but later than we’ve been accustomed to the last five or 10 years.”

Tyler Jenness with JB Farm, 140 Stinchfield Road in Chesterville stated he would be open 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. Saturday, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Sunday. On Sunday Kenric Charles of Kingfield will provide horse-drawn wagon rides, Mt. View Bees of Rumford will be doing beekeeping demonstrations and Daniel Meng of New Sharon will showcase blacksmithing, he noted. The barn will be open and a $15 pulled pork lunch offered either as take out or in a new seating area. “The season is just getting underway,” he said. “It’s a more traditional maple sugaring season with the weather being colder.”

Dawn Schanz of Schanz Family Maple, 773 Barker Road in New Vineyard indicated the facility would be open 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Saturday, noon – 5 p.m. Sunday. There will be lots of things to sample, tours of the operation with everyone in the family taking part, she noted. “We are a bit further north, just a little bit slower here,” she said. “It looks like the end of this week, next week sap should run.”

Angel Allen with Votervale Farm Maple Products, 783A River Road in Avon said her facility which has a restroom would be open 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. A variety of maple products, including spice rub and lip balm will be for sale. “We haven’t even fired up the boiler yet,” she noted. “We are keeping our fingers and toes crossed. It’s super late, has not been great. It’s still pretty cold, there is a chill wind out there. Fortunately we do have some product left from last year.”

Martin Lane of Shady Lane Sugar Shack, 108 Brahmer Road in New Vineyard said the operation will be open 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Sunday. For a fee pancakes will be served all day and a pig roast starting about 11 a.m., he noted. Seavey Farms in North Anson will provide horse-drawn wagon rides from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. and the barns will be open throughout the day, he stated. “There is a lot of frost in the ground,” he said. “There was a decent run today [March 10], the trees are running now. We will be boiling. Last year at this time we had made quite a bit, we haven’t made any this year. It’s going to take a bit for the sun to penetrate.”

Mike Bolduc with Twin Brook Maples, 383 Fairbanks Road in Farmington said a variety of free samples will be available 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Sunday, with transportation to the sap house provided. Maple products for sale include donuts, candies, lollipops, maple cream and meat rub. He is still waiting for sunny days, says he will be boiling that day for sure. “I think this season is going to be a sprint,” he noted. “When it starts to run it will run like crazy.”

Chris Botka with Maine Mountain Maple, 50 Edelheid Road in Rangeley said he will have some free things made with syrup but is still working on what those will be. His operation is only open from 12-4 p.m. both days as that is when most people come. He hasn’t seen much sap run yet as the trees aren’t getting warm. “The trees will get warm for two or three hours in the afternoon, sap will run maybe an hour and then nothing,” he said. He thought next week should be better. “We never know,” he noted. “We will wait and see what God says. Whenever sap runs, two, three or six weeks we don’t know.”

Bruce Tracy with Maple Hill Farm, 390 Titcomb Road in Farmington said the sap house will be open 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Sunday, with free goodies available. The season so far has not been good, it’s been too cold, there isn’t enough snow, he noted. “The frost is clear to China,” he exclaimed.

David Leavitt of Long Drive Acres Maple Farm, 319 Temple Road in Wilton texted he would be open 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Sunday, was adding snowshoe tours of the sugarbush this year.

Attempts to reach other local producers were not successful.

Information for some operations has not been updated this year on the Maine Maple Producers Association website’s event page, https://mainemapleproducers.com/events/maine-maple-weekend/#!directory/map. A list of all members is found on the directory page, https://mainemapleproducers.com/member-directory/#!directory/map.

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