Welcome from our Board President

By Sue Van Hook, Board President

Spring kicks off with Maple Open House – what a success!

It has been two years since MFFC hosted our wildly popular Pancake Breakfast on Vermont’s Maple Weekend. While we weren’t able to serve pancakes this year, the Maple Open House held March 19th on the mountain was a huge success.

Undeterred by rain in the forecast and an overnight onset of mud season at Merck, hundreds of people made it up and down the quagmired entrance road thanks to our vigilant road crew smoothing the way. The rain held off all day and even the sun even shone. It was a joy to see so many faces light up as folks headed up the road to the farm, eager for storytelling in the Harwood barn, tree tapping demonstrations, visiting the sap house evaporator for that “maple sauna” infusion, observing the buckets and backyard sugaring setup or delighting in the new animals in the small barn.

Danielle Morse made her entrance, Vermont style, in muck boots and flannel shirt beneath her satin sash and tiara. Can you say selfie with Miss Vermont? She was gracious in obliging many requests as she toured the farm and brought awareness to nursing, health care and leadership.

Our new farm manager, Hadley Stock and her husband built and operated a backyard boiler to demonstrate how individuals can produce maple syrup at home. A group of boys watching the thermometers were vigilant in letting Hadley know the rising temperature for the boiling sap. They were anxious for it to reach 215 degrees Fahrenheit to signal the syrup was ready!

Children lingered in the small animal barn captivated by the five black fluffy lambs and their mamas and the pink, copper and spotted piglets. The draft horses Fern and Arch got some attention too as they hung out in the corner of the pasture nearest Old Town Road.

Sugaring season in MFFC’s north-facing sugarbush is far from over. Cold nights are forecast to return a day or two past Maple weekend. While most folks left on Saturday with a bottle of maple syrup in hand, there is an abundant supply that will be available for shipment or subsequent visits as spring advances. Maple weekend is such a sweet time!

The renewal we experience each spring is so important to our well-being. Come join us at MFFC this spring for our second in-person Open House to Meet the Lambs on Saturday, May 12 and for our 73rd annual meeting in early June on Saturday the 11th.

Save the Date

MFFC’s 73rd Annual Meeting

•Saturday, June 11, 2022

9 am: coffee and conversation

10 am-12 noon: Annual Meeting and featured speaker (tba)

12 noon: lunch

1 pm: staff-led hikes

Open to members, donors, advisors and trustees. More info to follow!