14 • Thursday, March 14, 2013
The Standard
The sap is flowing for Sunderland Maple Syrup Festival DARRYL KNIGHT The Standard
NORTH DURHAM: The sap is flowing in preperation for the annual Sunderland Maple Syrup Festival, and producers are crossing their fingers for a good crop this year. “We need a good season, there’s a shortage of syrup in Ontario,” Paul Harder told The Standard, at the tree tapping ceremony held on Saturday, March 9. Mr. Harder went on to add that in order for maple syrup to be produced, there needs to be a freezing/thawing cycle in order for the greatest quantity of sap to be collected. “An ideal day has a cold night followed by a warm day,” explained Mr. Harder. “As long as it freezes the night before, we’ll have sap the next day. When you lose that freezing/thawing effect, that’s where it all blows up.” Mr. Harder has spent his entire life around the maple syrup industry, as his father purchased a parcel of sugar bush in Brock Township in 1954, although he notes that the process has greatly improved since then. “The traditional buckets for collecting sap were replaced by pipeline in the 1980s, and it’s a whole lot easier. The whole system is under vacuum, so there are no more sap buckets,” Mr. Harder explained, adding that his own output has grown from 550 trees to a current total of more than 2,600 trees used to extract sap for the purpose of producing maple syrup. “There is no way we could physically look after that many buckets of sap, although some producers still do,” added Mr. Harder. The sap collected through the taps put into place on March 9, will be used to create maple syrup to be used at the Sunderland Maple Syrup Festival, taking place on Saturday, April 6 and Sunday, April 7. The popular event features numerous attractions, such as bath tub races, an illusionist, a pancake-eating contest, a fine art show, pioneer demonstrations and the popular midway, and much more. As property owner Rich Helms explained to The Standard, a maple tree more than a century old serves as the centrepiece in maple syrup production for the festival.
TAPPING INTO SWEETNESS: Paul Harder drills a tap to collect sap during a special ceremony held on Saturday, March 9 in Brock Township. The tree tapping ceremony serves as the opening ceremony for the Sunderland Maple Syrup Festival, which runs on April 6 and 7. DARRYL KNIGHT The Standard “The oldest tree on our property is the cornerstone of production with five taps flowing with sap,” Mr. Helms explained. “The tree towers over the others on our property, and is more than 100 years old, whereas most of the other trees are only 40 or 50 years old. We are always thrilled to be a part of a great community event like the
maple syrup festival.” Mr. Harder added that the sap collected over the weekend will be turned into maple syrup in just a few days time to ensure there are sufficient quantities for the popular festival, which attracts visitors from across the province to Sunderland.
Easter on the Farm, March 29 WindReach Farm hosting BROCK: The second Annual games, play area, face painting, the Eggstravaganza on Saturday Easter on the Farm Event returns to Easter Scramble, Golden Egg Challenge, the Sunderland Tree Farm on Friday, March 29. The event runs from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. at the farm, located at 270 Concession 4 in Sunderland, east of Lakeridge Rd. Cost is $8 per child and kids under one are free. Register by March 15 online at www.sundedandtreefarm.ca. Registration includes a visit and photo with the Easter Bunny (guests must bring their own camera), crafts,
and more. New this year is a magic show, Easter basket raffle and bouncy castle. Lunch will be available for purchase. A portion of this year’s proceeds will benefit local food banks. Visitors are asked to note that there is ongoing construction at the farm for future improvements. Guests are also reminded to dress for the weather.
Prices In Effect Friday, March 15th to Thursday, March 21th, 2013
NORTH DURHAM: It’s going to be egg-citing! On Saturday, March 23, WindReach Farm presents its Annual Easter EggStravaganza. Join in the egg hunt, take a wagon ride, crafts for kids, hand feed the farm animals and explore the accessible trails. The egg hunt starts promptly at 11:30 a.m., rain or shine. Refreshments will be available. Everyone’s welcome, but please no pets. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Entry is $20 per vehicle. WindReach is located at 312 Townline Rd. in Ashburn. For more information, call 905-655-5827 or visit www.windreachfarm.org.
Store Hours: Monday to Saturday 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.