       |
|
Spring, 2012 With the arrival of the annual maple lovers newsletter, you can be assured spring is just around the corner! And with spring, comes the sweet taste of pure maple syrup! One change at our sugar house for 2012 is the direction the tractor will be heading to gather the sap. For years, we have gathered sap from two bushes. One is a bush to the East of our sugar house, and another to the North of the sugar house. In the fall of 2011, the decision was made to retire the bush to the East as the trees had passed their peak of sap production and the pipeline in the bush had become too old to continue repairing; therefore it was all pulled out. This spring, we hope many trips will be made to our now, one and only bush, to pick up gallons upon gallons of sap at the storage tanks. The more time a maple syrup producer spends maintaining the pipeline, the better the pipeline system works. However, maintenance takes time and time is always hard to find! During the months of November and December 2011, Bill spent many days in the bush, which turned into weeks, on the task of maintenance. The project (which was started in the fall of 2010) of replacing all spiles to a new and improved spile is now complete. All 5,000 taps now have the 'check valve spile' which allows more sap to flow from each tree. While changing the spiles, Bill was also repairing squirrel damage, broken fittings, and removing tree branches fallen on the lines. The dedication to this project paid off as the bush is now completely updated. The pipeline is in the best condition it has been in years; we hope it is almost leak free, and with any luck the squirrels have moved on to chew on something else besides pipeline! Instead of offering a recipe this year, we'd like to encourage you to begin using maple syrup not only as a topping on your pancakes or waffles, but as your daily sweetener. Whether you use maple syrup or granulated maple sugar, either product is a healthier choice when sweetening coffee, tea, yogurt, granola/cereal/oatmeal, fresh fruit such as grapefruit, a smoothie, ice cream, and let's not forget squash or turnip. We invite you to join us on one of the Saturdays for a maple related activity. Last year, we were boiling on all four Saturdays! Who knows what this year will bring! Come enjoy a pancake breakfast at the Frankville village church hall served by the members of the St. Thomas Anglican Church. On site at the sugar house, NEW this year, we welcome Bear the Tinker - a musician and story teller. He will be at the sugar house on the 2nd and 3rd Saturdays. The petting zoo and pony ride attraction will also be on site the same two Saturdays as they are returning for the fun. And of course, everyone enjoys a treat of maple taffy on snow and a sample taste of the fresh maple syrup. We continue to be open year round at the sugar house, seven days a week for a visit and/or purchase. From May to October, on Thursdays and Saturdays we are at the Brockville Farmers' Market, and on Fridays, at the Lansdowne Farmers' Market. As the season approaches, we will continue with the preparations and look forward to sharing this traditional, Canadian experience with you. We leave you with this riddle: Why is a baseball game like a pancake? P.S. If you wish to no longer receive the newsletter, please feel free to call or email us. Answer to riddle: Because they both depend on the batter!
|
Spring, 2011
Spring 2010
41 Leacock Road, RR 1
Frankville, Ontario
K0E 1H0
For more information:
Tel: 613-275-2893
Toll Free 1-877-440-7887
email: mail@gibbonsmaple.com
