Yesterday was a significant milestone at Fortune Farms. Some of the trees we transplanted in 1991 and 1992 to an unused hayfield are now 25 cm in diameter and large enough to tap. We held a First Tapping Ceremony to commemorate this event. It was combined with the official First Tapping for the province and was attended by the President and other representatives of the Ontario Maple Syrup Producers Association, four generations of the Fortune Family, friends and neighbours. About 30 trees are large enough to tap and when all the trees are up to size it will about 400 taps to our operation.
Here are pictures of Brian Bainborough President of OMSPA making the first tap and Ray Fortune with Jamie Fortune in the background making the second tap.
The sun shone for this event and it is shining again today. The trees are coated with snow from the recent wet snowfall and it is a beautiful tableau like a Christmas card. Next week warm weather so the sap should run.The pumps have been tested, the Reverse Osmosis is assembled and the evaporator has been started. So we are ready to go.
Fortune Farms 
Ray, It is such a joy to follow your sugarbush reports. Congratulations to you, your family and the team on bringing this new bush into production — it is wonderful to see a thirty year project come to fruition!
David Baril (Almonte)
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I remember when you planted the old hay field with many straight rows of maples. This was inspired by a technique from Somewhere in New England I think. Looking forward to visiting soon.
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