Maple...mmmmmmmmmmmmm.

March 31, 2018 Julie Arrison-Bishop

This is my brain on maple candy...

Full disclosure. I'm a sucker for Vermont maple products, having grown up with family in Vermont and with an uncle that has his own sugar shack. We call maple syrup "Vermont Liquid Gold." That said, I am going to try to get on board with the New Hampshire Liquid Gold and share some local spots to see sugaring in action (which is such a cool process).

While I love the comforts of home, I love having a home in an area surrounded by a national forest and historic farm land. Lucy Brook Farm, in North Conway, was built in 1912. "Arthur and Irene Lucy lived in the house, and then their oldest son Fred took over the farming. Fred and his wife Hester raised Hereford beef cattle, made maple syrup, and sold wood and hay. In 2009, after fifty five years of marriage and working together, both passed away within six months of each other. The farm is now owned by their daughter, Mary, and her son Randy, and his wife, Kim. The farm now raises alpacas, chickens, pork and natural produce which is grown as the first families did......naturally."

White Pine Farm is located in Tamworth, NH. From Christmas Trees to pumpkins to beef this farm has it all. The farm also offers Farm to Table dinner tours with seven course meals, and a mobile pizza oven with "Sunset Pizza" nights (which I can assure you we'll be checking out this summer!).

Olkkola Farm is located in Ossipee in the White Mountains on New Hampshire. The farm will be tapping its trees in the coming weeks. With a stretch of cold nights and warm days, the clear sap will be transformed into sweet syrup. Fun fact from the farm? It takes 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of sweet golden syrup.