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We ship to a select number of long-time customers customers from all over the US. We would be delighted to ship syrup to you -- as long as we are not already sold out.
 All Syrup is put up in colorful plastic jugs. Prices do not include shipping. Syrup is heavy so shipping can range from approximately $6.00 to $14.00 per container or more depending on size and your location. We will quote you shipping at time of order.
2012: very early start in mid February. Last boil March 13th. Some years my first boil is mid-March! Very light Fancy and A-Medium grades with excellent flavor. Send an email or call us up to place your order: Phone 802-867-0155
Links of interest: Vermont Maple Sugarmakers' Association: www.vermontmaple.org
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When I moved to Northern Vermont in the early 70's I helped some of the local sugarmakers (as maple syrup producers are called) each spring. There is never a
shortage of sugarmaking tasks during March and an offer of help is never turned
down. After I re-settled in Southern Vermont I helped Leon Edgerton, my
neighbor, mentor, and native Vermonter, to make syrup every spring. Leon's dad
tapped these trees for the first time in 1938. Our gathering tanks and filter
tank have been in use every year since then. At one point Leon and I were
hanging around 2,000 buckets. I can tell you honestly that keeping ahead
of that many buckets is a lot of work when the sap is running strong. After many
years of learning at the elbow of a master the reins were turned over to me with
typical Vermont efficiency. Leon said "Now I help you" and that was
that. Leon died in 1997 but the tradition of syrup making continues in our
family as a rite of spring. Although some taps are now set up with plastic
tubing I still hang over 250 buckets so local kids can help gather sap and get a
'real' feel for this long time Vermont activity.
We are blessed with a south facing sugarbush on gently sloping land with
towering maples that are hundreds of years old. The roots are firmly planted in
the marble for which this area is famous. The result is a perfect combination of
factors that allows us to produce some of the best tasting maple syrup you will
find anywhere. As sugarmaker I would love to take credit but it is mostly the
quality of the trees and the soil. On the other hand sap is a perishable product
so we endeavor to boil the sap down to syrup within a few hours of gathering, so
it is not all the trees!
I am a member of the Vermont Maple Sugarmakers' Association although we are
not a big operation and do not make a lot of syrup. Like many of Vermont's small producers we take great
pride in the quality of what we do produce. True to tradition, every year
there are a few close friends who come out to help along with daughters pressed
into service. Sometimes one of Leon's sons will drive from one and one-half hours away to help gather and re-kindle his
connection to these trees. Once you get a little sap running in your veins it is
hard to escape the draw when the strong sun of late February starts warming
things up and the air smells just right. Setting out taps is the first
promise of spring after a long cold winter.
Weather, sugarbush, and to a lesser extent the experience of the sugarmaker
dictates the grade of syrup produced. The history of the grading system is
interesting. In the days of the colonies, England controlled the market for
white cane sugar and it was highly taxed in the colonies. Maple sugar was a
locally produced alternative. The lightest colored sugar was highly prized in the
cities as it was the closest approximation to white cane sugar. As a result the
lightest grade with the most delicate flavor was called Fancy. There is no
difference in the quality of the syrup between grades except for the subtle
differences in flavor and color. Among our customers we have advocates that
insist their favorite grade is "the best". In the end it is a personal
preference. In a normal season the first runs produce the lightest syrup. As the
season progresses the syrup will darken and take on a more robust flavor. When
the buds swell in late March the syrup season is generally over for us. Every
season is different. In most years we make Fancy and Grade A Medium Amber. Every
few years we will also make some Grade A Dark Amber. Infrequently at the end of
the season there may be a limited amount of Grade B. There are many cooks that
prefer Grade B in their recipes because they feel the more robust flavor gives
their dishes more of a "maple" flavor. I have a few customers that
have a standing order for Grade B whenever I have any. Our Grade A Medium and Dark
Amber grades are very
similar in flavor and primarily differ in color. I guarantee you will be delighted
with the flavor of any syrup we make.