Maple trees in the North Gorham area are festooned with plastic tubing as syrup producers prepare for Maine Maple Sunday on March 26. With the exception of Parson’s Farm in West Gorham, sugarhouses welcoming visitors in Gorham on Sunday are all in the northeast part of town.
Every March families tap trees, fire up evaporators that can boil down 40 gallons of sap into a gallon of sweet syrup, and fill hundreds of bottles. On the fourth Sunday of the month, they invite the public to tour their facilities and sample the syrup. In addition to selling maple syrup, some will offer pancake breakfasts, and provide other entertainment. As sap runs only in the spring, syrup-making is seasonal and these family producers sell most of their product on Maine Maple Sunday.
Dale and Honey Sparrow, who operate the Whipple Lock Farm on Whipple Rod., built their sugarhouse last summer. This will be their first time selling on Maine Maple Sunday. Sparrow learned to make syrup from an uncle who has 3,500 taps in northern New Hampshire. He started by setting out 20 buckets and made six gallons his first year. Before buying an evaporator, Sparrow said he “boiled sap in the driveway in a flat pan.” Last year he made 20 gallons, but with 450 taps this year on his wooded property he hopes to make more than 100. Sparrow plows in the winter and works as a commercial fisherman in the summer. His wife has a farm stand where she sells produce and syrup.
James and Rory Lockman and their sons began making syrup in 2003 and open The Lockman Place on North Gorham Road for Maine Maple Sunday. Their bottle labels advertise certified Kosher syrup “made by guys and a gal who love this stuff.” Lock man has fifty taps on his and his neighbor’s trees.
Photo credit Kathy CorbettJocelia Hartwell stands inside the sugarhouse at Hartwell Farm.
Photo credit James LockmanTeddy Lockman offers sap tastings to vistors of The Lockman Place.
The area’s largest producer is Merrifield Farm on North Gorham Rd. A general contractor, Lyle Merrifield sets out 850 taps in the spring. He and his wife Joanne sell syrup year-round from their sugarhouse, at fairs and through a local retailer. On March 25 and March 26, family members including daughters, Lexi and Molly, will offer visitors samples, pancake breakfasts, farm tours, and syrup-making demonstrations.
“We expect that 75% of this spring’s syrup will be gone that weekend,” Merrifield said. Long active in the Maine Maple Producers Association, they agree that syrup-making is profit- able because the only expense for a family operation is equipment. Just as important to them, however, are the friendships they have made though the association.
Charlie Wyman, also on North Gorham Rd., sells from his roadside farm stand because his sugarhouse and its six foot evaporator is “up a muddy path into the woods” behind his house. Although he has lived in North Gorham all his life, Wyman only began making syrup five years ago as a hobby.
Jo’s Sugarhouse is on the Hartwell Farm on Sebago Lake Road. Jocelin and Karl Hartwell and their sons, Ben, who runs the farm, and Mike, who helps out on Maine Maple Sunday, collect sap from 300 taps for their syrup. In addition to pancake breakfasts, they will sell grass fed beef burgers.
Bob Parson has participated in Maine Maple Sunday for 23 years. Parson’s Maple Products on Buck St. will offer pancake breakfasts, free samples of syrup on ice cream, and demonstrate syrup making. “The weather has not been good this year and we have only boiled once,” Parson said, “but we will have plenty of syrup.” He, his brother Russell, and his nephews Issac and Adam, will welcome visitors to the farm in West Gorham.
Although 95% of Maine’s maple syrup is produced north of Augusta, the maple syrup made by these six Gorham small family businesses makes “buying local” a sweet way to welcome spring.
For a complete listing of participating sugarhouses, their locations, activities and schedules, visit The Maine Maple Producers Association website here.