Maple Sugaring

Local Agriculture: Maple Sugaring

This is the sugarbush that our class is accessing to collect sap and eventually, make maple syrup. The land is located to the west of school adjacent to Hubbard Park. In February, we went to the location and tapped 75-80 trees. We then hung 110 buckets, depending on the size of the trees.

In class, we learned about the evolution of sugaring, how Native Americans tapped trees to make maple sugar and how white European settles adopted those practices in New England.

Intro to Maple Sugaring: Part 1

Mr. Hammer is our community connection. The sugarbush is on his land and he lets us access the property to sugar. Additionally, he has a wealth of knowledge about sugaring and has helped get our program off the ground.

Every Friday in March, the MSMS_Sustain team boils sap in the backyard of our school. When the sap reaches the right temperature, we draw off and filter the syrup. The final step is finishing.

The final step in the process is finishing. The syrup is heated up to 180 degrees and then filtered a second time. Once filtered and heated, the syrup is bottled and ready for sale.