Sugaring season is once again upon us, and Conor Fitzgerald, Assistant Farm Manager, with the help of middle schoolers at Kurn Hattin Homes, spent the last two weeks tapping several species of maple trees, setting buckets, and running lines in Kurn Hattin Homes’ own sugar maple grove.
Maple sugaring has been an annual activity at Kurn Hattin Homes since its founding in 1894 and a part of the children’s Farm Science curriculum for the past 30 years. The children learn about the science and art of sugaring with classes taking turns gathering the sap and visiting the Sugar House, where they see and learn about the boiling and evaporation process needed to take 40 gallons of sap to produce just one gallon of maple syrup!
So far 10 gallons of syrup have been produced, and the goal is to reach last year’s record of 91 gallons. “This year I’d like to team up with Richard (Johnson, Food Services Director), in the kitchen, to do a sugar on snow with pickles and donuts as a fun activity,” said Conor. Pouring hot maple syrup over fresh clean snow is a New England maple season tradition and is sure to be a hit!
