Portage River Farm

Today was one that I have been anticipating for some time. The boys and I drove to Mason, MI, to a business called Sugarbush Supply Company. It was housed in a building nestled in the back of an attractive old farm next to a barnyard full of cows.

The showroom of Sugarbush Supply had three or four gleamingly beautiful evaporators, including the one that I would dearly love to buy, the "Half Pint". They also had displays of fancy bottles, sugarin' guidebooks and many shelves filled with fittings and devices for the professional sugar trade.

I had my shopping list all worked out ahead of time. My first version of the list had called for the nice traditional stainless buckets and the full works. Unfortunately it had added up to nearly $500. After a couple of sessions of looking for less expensive options, I am the proud owner of 18 taps worth of genuine maple sugarin' equipment to the total of $165.

I went with smaller diameter taps that are more healthful for the trees and gave up on the nice stainless pails in favor of much more economical "sap sacs". I'll post pictures of them in use in a month or so. They are basically big, blue plastic bags that hang from the taps. Not as romantic as being able to hear that "plink, plink, plink" sound of the sap falling but you've got to start somewhere!

Next I'll have to rig an evaporator. I hope to slap one together using an old woodstove that I have used in the past to heat my woodshop. I'll let you know how that comes together when I get to it.