FIRING UP THE EVAPORATOR

Family Fun on Tap

Bring the whole family to watch maple syrup being made before your eyes. You'll see high-tech evaporators with reverse osmosis and SteamAways, as well as traditional wood-fired evaporators. Wonderful maple treats will tempt your palate, and special activities will fill your day with fun. Sugarhouses will open their doors for touring and tasting from 10 a.m. till 4 p.m. each day, and Valley Road Maple Farm invites you to come early (9 a.m.) and enjoy a pancake breakfast dripping with...what else?...pure Thurman maple syrup!

On Saturday evening, March 14th, make sure to plan on attending the annual Maple Sugar Party to benefit the American Cancer Society. It's a delectable all-you-can-eat buffet topped off with old-fashioned jackwax for dessert, accompanied by local musicians. Held at town hall, 311 Athol Road, Athol, NY, it begins at 4 and lasts till all are served. Prices: $10 adults, $5 for kids 6-11. Under 5 free.

Here's a little thumbnail description of each of the sugarhouses on the 2009 tour. As soon as the 2010 lineup of openhouses has been announced, a revised map will be posted here. If you can't print a good copy, email ThurmanInfo@aol.com to have the map emailed to you, or follow signs and pick one up at any of the sugarhouses when you arrive in Thurman.

COME SEE US !

1. Adirondack Gold Maple Farm
74 Bear Pond Road
Here third generation maple producers operate an old fashioned sugarhouse. They have 700 taps (600 with tubing and 100 in buckets) and a 2' x 6' wood-fired stainless steel evaporator. Family activities are planned for both days of each weekend. Come meet the Maple Queen and browse the Kenyons' full line of maple products.

2. Martin's Lumber
280 Valley Road
www.PersisGranger.com/Adk_Martins.htm Gary and Wini Martin have a one hundred acre certified tree farm with a portable bandsaw mill, and their site is also the home of Lucyann's Stained Glass Stepping Stones and Paper Bead Earrings. You can see these craft items and demonstrations of the sawmill operation. They are proud to keep their sustainable resource, and will talk to you about silviculture, explaining the principles of sustainable forestry. They will demonstrate sawing, including selectively cut maple that was tapped years ago. Their displays will include maple boards, showing some of the unique and beauriful grains of the sugar maple.

3. Valley Road Maple Farm
190 Valley Road
Sugarmakers Mike Hill and Ralph Senecal boil in a new state-of-the-art sugarhouse. They have 1,500 taps on vacuum with reverse osmosis. Their products include syrup, cream, candy, sugar, cotton candy, and they will open early with a pancake breakfast. Valley Road Maple earned teh Vermont international maple syrup contest for light amber syrup and the 2008 New York State Fairl first prize for maple candy. They will host breakfast each morning beginning at 9 a.m. -- hot, fluffy pancakes with pure maple syrup drizzled over the top! MMmmmmm.

4. Toad Hill Maple Farm
151 Charles Olds Road
www.toadhillmaple.com
The Galusha family has produced pure Adirondack Maple Products at Toad Hill for more than 30 years. Toad Hill is the largest maple producer in Warren County, with more than 4,000 vacuum-assisted taps spread across three sugar bushes.

5. Wallaces' Sugarhouse
312 Dippikill Road
This will be the second year for the the Wallaces' new sugarhouse, with all new equipment, which includes a Leader 3' x 12' wood-fired evaporator with a SteamAway. This 2,000-tap operation carries a full line of maple products.