The recent colder weather may have slowed down the sap from running steady from the taps on maple trees, but it won’t affect Maine Maple Sunday, which is this Sunday.
The event is held throughout Maine to recognize the maple syrup industry.
In Smyrna, Spring Break Maple and Honey will be hosting a variety of activities from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at their shop at 3315 U.S. Route 2 in Smyrna Mills.
“We will have sugar house tours all day,” said Kristi Brannen, Spring Break Maple and Honey. “At 1 p.m., we will have a guided sugar bush or woodlot tour.”
On hand at the shop will be candy demonstrations, and of course, samplings. As well as, sugar on the snow. The infamous Spring Break Maple and Honey sundaes will be on sale.
Spring Break Maple and Honey tap 3,000 trees on 80 acres and the production last year yielded just under 800 gallons of syrup. The Brannens began the business in 1998, after many years as hobbyists. This year, Spring Break Maple is celebrating its 15th anniversary and the 30th year of Maine Maple Sunday.
Spring Break Maple and Honey’s regular business hours are Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Call toll free at 1-800-281-0021 or visit www.mainemapleandhoney.com.
Charlene and Boyd Bradbury of Bradbury Maple Farms in Bridgewater are also ready for Maine Maple weekend.
“We had a few days were the sap did run,” said Charlene. “We have made quite a bit of syrup already and then it froze up of course.”
The Bradburys will be holding an Open House on Saturday and Sunday from 1-5 p.m. each day. There will be free taffy on the snow for visitors, along with all their products, including the famous maple cotton candy for sale.
“It is a big hit, along with our other candies and sugars,” said Charlene. “We are hoping it is warm enough so the sap will be running and we will be able to boil the sap to show the process.”
Bradbury Maple Farms is in its 29th year of business.
“We have come along way from our first year,” said Charlene. “We have made a lot changes, with a lot of modernization and improvements. We have grandchildren as old as our kids were when we started and Boyd and I have gotten much older.”
In the Bradburys’ first year of business, they had 17 gallons. Last year, they produced 500 gallons and two years before that, the couple had produced 700 gallons of maple syrup. They have more than 3,000 taps on their trees across 80 acres. Sap flows through an intricate network of tubing into a building where, after several processes to remove water, it becomes syrup.
After the weekend, the Bradburys will begin scheduling their school tours for area children.
Bradbury Maple Farms is located at 202 BootFoot Road. For more information, log onto www.bradburymaple.com, e-mail info@bradburymaple.com or call 429-8306.
For more information on Maine Maple Sunday visit www.getrealmaine.com or www.mainemaple producers.com.
