Sugarbush

Each spring the FERM conducts a two phase sugarbush workshop. The 1st phase is a week long series of field trips for local K-12 schools. The second phase is a one day private landowner workshop geared towards current and potential maple syrup producers.

Spring 2007 was the 2nd year for the landowner workshop and the 1st year for the K-12 sessions. The FERM students worked to get the whole operation up and running and conducted a variety of demonstrations during the actual events. A pancake lunch with fresh maple syrup was served for the private landowners and for those K-12 groups that selected the option. Vanilla ice cream topped with maple syrup was served to the remaining K-12 groups.

The K-12 workshop was an absolute success with over 500 kids coming through the program. Turnout for the landowner workshop was lower than the previous year, but still good. Syrup left over from the workshop was sold locally to raise money for improvements to the operation.

In addition to learning the process to produce maple syrup, how to interact with people of varying levels of knowledge and the steps necessary to hold a large workshop, FERM students also honed their tree physiology knowledge as it relates to sap flow.

The operation consists of 52 taps in roadside trees in the Alberta Village, a cinder block arch, two boiling pans (borrowed), and associated tapping, collection, finishing and bottling equipment/supplies.