Old fashioned sugaring in Vermont.

 Sugaring is weather dependent.  Warm days in March can

shorten the season; putting a dent in the farmers real profit.  Before the warm air arrived this week, we stopped at a sugar shack on our way to Saxton's River.  It seems like this unassuming little barn has been here for a hundred years and if walls could talk, they would tell of locals and tourists alike who have stopped to smell the syrup; so to speak.

I've seen many farms using plastic bags this year for tapping individual trees.  They're rather tacky looking, in my opinion.  There's none of that here; sap buckets are used, as it should be.

The evaporator is also wood fired.  No gas lines here.  The firewood is piled high in the shed.

You won't find assigned parking lots or vendors here.  Located on Pleasant Valley Road, don't blink or you'll miss it.

The steam, the delicious smell and the warmth are so inviting.  

Of course we brought some of this heavenly Vermont maple syrup home!  It's so important to support these small farms.  If you live in an area where you're lucky enough to have a sugar shack close by, visit them before the season is over.  Then have pancakes for dinner with a nice helping of local maple syrup on top!