Isn't it GRAND?

Maple Cooking & Roasting Weenies

It's all getting so confusing, isn't it? During COVID, gas prices plummeted and people from the metro areas FLOCKED to the farms for a sense of space and freedom and safety. Now, we feel like we're in some sort of lock down again, but people are staying close to home this time. They feel compelled to remain vigilant observers - protectors of their neighbors and the fragile collective - and also worry about overspending and gas prices. We're not feeling safe or stable at home yet our clown and his cult continue to announce in wildly excessive and lavish fashion, that the circus is here...or going there... He's not my clown, but sadly, the mess the circus leaves behind will be mine/ours to clean up.

Oddly enough, despite all the incredulity, I am incredibly optimistic! There are silver linings to the chaos in our lives. People are waking up to what humanity really wants...what we truly represent. We are kind and loving beings, we are not greedy or out for vengeance, we care about each other and the planet we share. All the mess we see now, all the yuck that is being exposed, is helping us to see that we don't want to live this way. And, little by little, all of us little guys, are beginning to play the game, "If I Ran The Zoo" where we ponder and dream about how life will be when we clear away all the disruptors and the mess this circus is leaving behind. It's going to be grand!

MAPLE SEASON

The maples have been generous this year - as have all the men in the neighborhood who are drawn to hanging out with William to collect sap and sit in front of the boil enjoying a visit while breathing in that incredible caramel aroma of maple syrup. If William doesn't tire out from all the sap collecting he does pail by pail, he may try for one more batch before the maples begin to bud and the syrup starts to taste funky.

What makes our syrup so special? We still do it the old-fashioned way.

1. We DO NOT collect sap with plastic tubes that tangle from tree to tree.

2. Our sap is hand-collected and cooked within 24 hours. It never sits to ferment in a holding tank waiting for the truck to come pump it out.

3. We DO NOT use reverse osmosis machines to remove the water from the sap. We evaporate the water over a wood fire.

4. The wood we use comes from dead trees in our woods. We do not cut trees to make our syrup.

5. Once the sap reaches syrup, we filter it and bottle immediately...all by hand.

These old ways are never what you get in grocery store syrup and the flavor is apparent. You want a special treat? You want some of our syrup! Think waffles, crepes and pancakes...

I know we're all worried about this and that, but I hope you can see to the brighter future that is twinkling at us from just across the way. Your nervous system needs to be grounded and regulated for all of this fun to come to fruition, so take a trip into nature, go for a walk, doodle, make art, cook a new recipe, invite friends over, and come out to the farm. We've got what you need - good energy and groceries to boot!

For bread lovers out there, I started making a par-baked sourdough focacchia all ready for you to pop in the oven for a few minutes and enjoy with that dinner party you are hosting. Chewy, yummy, herby, good!

Stay well, breathe and catch the beams of love I send from the farm!

Sarah