Rochester Valley Sugaring 2007:
A Tale of Two (Different) Seasons
By Martha Slater

Depending upon whom you talked with Easter weekend in the Rochester, Hancock and Granville area, the 2007 sugaring season was either all over, winding down or only half over. Most of those with their sugarbush at a higher elevation were among the latter, while those sugaring mostly in the valley were pretty much done.

North Hollow

Although he was suffering the aftereffects from a recent tooth extraction, Harold Hubbard of North Hollow in Rochester said he was still hoping to keep going for another week, if the weather cooperated.

"I’ve made about half of a usual crop and used about two-thirds of my wood," he reported, noting that he’d made about 140 gallons so far, all of it fancy or grade A. Hubbard, who has help from his family, (and this year from an acquaintance who helped him tap) had 900 taps this year, all on line. The lines all run into the sugarhouse, using a vacuum system. He sells whatever syrup his family doesn’t eat. 

Another North Hollow sugarer is Louis Donnet, who boils on a tiny 2 by 2 arch in a sugarhouse he "recycled" from the late Laurence Marsh and rebuilt near his North Hollow home. He reported that, "From our 26 taps, we have made a tad over 3.5 gallons of medium amber syrup. The sap and snow have been better than usual, especially the snow. And we expect that, given that this current tenacious winter weather will transition into spring weather soon, we’ll be able to produce another batch or two." He and his wife Becky keep what he makes for their own use.

Donnet, who says he always finds something to enjoy about sugaring season, added that he’d "recently heard that the producers located down in the valley are pretty much done for this year. We up here on the hills can only conclude that they don’t see the mud, and therefore the sap, that we do. Not to mention that the days are a least two hours longer up on the hills, which may help to explain the clearer sap."

Jay McIntyre, who is also located in North Hollow, first boiled on March 10, 11 days earlier than last year. He said he’d made 65 gallons, so far, from his 625 taps, and was hoping for another 40. About half of what he’d made was fancy and the rest medium. He does the work mostly by himself, with help from his wife. This is the third year since he began using the new sugarhouse he built near the location of his old one, and went back to using wood to fuel the 4 by 13 arch.

Larry Straus, of South Hollow Lane in Rochester, sugars in partnership with his brother-in-law, Garth Quillia. They have 95 taps, all of them on buckets.

"I’m an old-fashioned kind of guy," Straus joked, explaining why pipeline isn’t a part of their operation. "We’re definitely not through yet. We’ve made 20 gallons so far; all of it fancy and light amber, and we expect to have another decent run. Up here on the hill, we’ve been lucky to make a lot of the light stuff."

With 350 taps (two buckets "because they’e right behind the sugarhouse" and the rest on line) Ralph Darrah of North Hollow reported that he’d made "about half a crop so far, but I’m hoping for a few more good runs."

All of the 52 gallons he’d made as of Saturday were fancy. He does all the work by himself and has been sugaring for over 50 years. Last year, he commented that he’d put up enough wood for another couple of years, "so I guess I’ll keep on sugaring for a while!" His wood supply is still holding out, so perhaps he’ll make another prize-winning batch of maple cream. The stuff he made in 2004 won the "Best in Class" blue ribbon at that year’s Vermont Farm Show in Barre. 

Down in the Valley

Mike Andrews of Rochester, who last year had 700 taps on plastic line, all located on the mountainside behind his mom’s house on Brandon Mt. Rd., reported that, unfortunately, he wasn’t able to sugar this year.

Denny Rhoades of State Garage Road in Rochester, who has been sugaring for over 40 years, said that, for him, this season "was kind of poor. We’re all done and started cleaning up." With 800 taps, all on line, he made around 80 gallons. Although there was some fancy at the start, most of his crop was medium and dark amber. 

Rhoades boils on a wood-fired two and a-half by eight foot arch in the small sugarhouse next to his home, and most of his sugarbush is scattered at locations on Liberty Hill, Sky Hollow and Rte 100. This year, his son Josh did a lot of boiling, particularly, after hours, and Joe Shaw did all the gathering.

Like Rhoades, Dick White of Brook St. in Rochester reported that he was "all done. I had a very poor season."

With 325 taps (up from 275 last year), all on pipeline, he made 25 gallons, about a third of his normal crop of 75-80 gallons. His is a one-man operation and he boils on a 2 by 6 arch in the sugarhouse next to his home. White finished boiling March 30, and made 35 gallons, which he noted was "about half a usual crop." He’ll sell some of it, but is always sure to save enough for his own use, since his wife, Diane, is famous for the baked beans she makes with it.

White’s theory as to why the folks up in the hills generally made lighter syrup than those at lower elevations this year, is that "the warmer weather back in January made some of the trees in the valley start to bud and that made the sap darker."

Ray Gendron and his wife, Joyce, own the largest syrup operation in town, boiling on a 5 by 14 oil-fired arch, in what used to be a dairy barn next to their home on Rte. 73. They sell their syrup mostly to mail order customers through their business, "Mom and Pop’s World’s Best Maple Syrup." They also sell it at fairs and at the roadside rest area at Moss Glen Falls in Granville.

Although this year they had made 350 gallons, ("about 10% of that fancy") from their 2,000 taps, "We’re not done yet, although I think the season is pretty much over with," Ray said.

Last year, both Bob Harvey and his son and sugaring partner, Mike, had to sit out the season, due to family health problems. This year, however, they were back in business, boiling on their wood-fired 2 by 4 rig in a sugarhouse Mike built near his home just off Clay Hill Road. They have 106 taps all on line.

"We’ve made 10 or 12 gallons, so far, and it’s all dark stuff," reported Bob, who does all the boiling. While he wishes their syrup was lighter, he’s philosophical, noting, "We have to take what we get. We’re all in the same boat!"

Brad Johnson, who has only missed sugaring once (in 2005) in 44 years, reported that this year he started tapping February 20 and first boiled March 14. He has 620 taps, all of them on line, at five locations, including Liberty Hill, Austin Hill, and Mt. Cushman. He boils on a 3 by 10 wood-fired arch in the sugarhouse next to his home on Route 100 south of Rochester village.

As he has in past years, Johnson had a lot of help from Randy Brouillard and his two sons, Justin and Cody. He’s made 67 gallons, so far, all of it medium, and remarked, "We never made any fancy this year, but we came awful close!"

Harland McKirryher, who is known for having the coldest sugarbush in town at his Bingo property, reported that he began tapping the week after Town Meeting, and first boiled March 25. He said he’d made 10 gallons, so far, all Grade A, "and I’m hoping to catch up on the tail end of the season, I run late anyway out here."

McKirryher said he and his girlfriend, Joy Madrona, do all the work themselves. "I do the tapping and boiling and she does the canning and the cleaning up. Plus, she keeps me fed and takes care of everything else!" he said.

Sugaring partners Tom and Terry Paquette of Brandon Mt. Rd., Dan and Peggy McKinley of Main St., and Walt Wells of Brandon Mt. Rd., had a total of 145 taps (up from 120 last year), 90 on line and 55 buckets. The partners boil at Apple Hill Farm, also on Brandon Mt. Rd; on a wood-fired arch measuring 18 inches by six feet. Their 12 by 16 foot sugarhouse was built from a kit by Ron Halter, who owned Apple Hill before the present owners, Bob and Jan Aviano.

All of the syrup they produce is for their own use and that of their large extended families. This year, they had made almost 26 gallons, and McKinley noted that "We’re hoping to hit 30, if the weather changes. And if we don’t, there’s always next year!"

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