A Sweet Season

For almost 20 years, when January starts to wane, Keith begins to watch the daily temperature swings. Daily high temperatures in the 40°s with nightly lows dipping below freezing create pressure changes within the structure of our maple trees and means the sap will begin to run. This can occur anytime between early February and mid March here in north central Pennsylvania. This mysterious process makes me stop and wonder every year. Keith’s interest in making maple syrup began with a friend talking about how he tapped a tree in his front yard and boiled the sap in a pot on the kitchen stove. The early years of sugaring at Walk-A-Woods involved an open fire and cafeteria heating table pans. It wasn’t efficient, but it was fun, with lots of friends stopping by to enjoy stories, food, drink, and a roaring fire on cold late winter days. Over the years Keith has improved his maple syrup production efforts. He converted our chicken coop to a sugar shack and invested in proper equipment, including a real evaporator. These days when sugaring season rolls around, the experience is cozier, as Keith can sit out of the wind and weather, tending the fire and the boil. Walk-A-Woods maple syrup production is a hobby that produces anywhere from 3-6 gallons of delicious maple syrup each year. Friends and family are always welcome in the shack. Wear boots! If you’d like to support Pennsylvania farmers producing maple syrup, visit PattersonFarms in Westfield, PA, Tioga County.