Sandhill Farm by apple
The maple sap has started flowing! We went out to gather it for the first time yesterday. It's been slow starting, because of the cold spring, and we've been checking buckets here and there, now and then. The other day Emily and Jacob went for a walk down to the far maple yard, and reported there were about 20 gallons of sap there. That's not much, but combined with the closer sap yards and Dancing Rabbit/ Red Earth's gatherings, it would be enough for a cook. We decided that four of us could carry it to the road by hand, without too much trouble. The 20 gallons had turned to 50 overnight, and it was more work than any of us had bargained for. A normally pleasant walk up through the woods and across a field was more of a painful trudge yesterday, carrying 40 to 80 pounds on each trip, through the snow (uphill both ways!)
We kept a big fire under the maple pan going from 11am until after suppertime. We cooked down almost 150 gallons of sap yesterday, between our own and our neighbors'. That will be less than 4 gallons of finished syrup! Worth it? I think so. We love local sweeteners (and local food in general), and I don't think it gets any better than maple syrup.
We are scheduled to have a Maple Open House the Saturday after next- March 20th. Hopefully the sap will still be running and any of you interested will be able to come see the process. Keep your eyes peeled for more details.
Our springtime population influx has begun: Chris Roth has arrived, to live here for the next couple months (and maybe beyond). He lived a short stint at Sandhill many years ago, and has spent the last 12 years at Lost Valley Educational Center in Oregon. He is the editor of Communities magazine, and has connections and friends here in the tri-communities. We're excited to have him join us.
Gigi is back from a long vacation, feeling refreshed. She's been spending a lot of time catching up with Renay, and she's slowly shifting into work.
Laird has come and gone and come again. He's about to leave for a two-week trip: to do facilitation training in North Carolina, and some workshops in Maryland. Ma'ikwe will be traveling and working with him. On this stint at home, among other things, he cut some locust posts for Dan at Dancing Rabbit, cooked us home-made pasta, helped to welcome Chris (they work together on Communities), and did some consulting with me about bookkeeping and tool care.
We're beginning our spring work (even though there's still snow on the ground). Emily has been sowing seeds in trays in the greenhouse-kale, collards, cabbage, and broccoli. The baby leeks are looking good. We've been out to see the bees (all the hives made it through the winter!), and Stan and I have started talking about our plans and goals for them this year (he's at a Beekeepers' Conference as of this writing). Chris and I have started on the fruit-tree pruning. It's slow but satisfying work. As I prune, I like to imagine the future peaches.
It's that time of year which looks bleak out, but is full of daydreams of green and of bountiful harvests. We hope you are keeping your hands and hearts warm.