Spring's Arrival at Fortune Farms
Spring has finally arrived! The snow is melting, the sap has been running well and we have been busy around the clock. We are now consistently making amber grade – akin to the old medium, which is a customer favourite. We have ample supplies of golden and amber grades available.
A still morning with high humidity and the steam towers over the sugar camp. Always a satisfying sight!
Easter Weekend and Ontario’s Maple Weekend overlap this year and we expect to be busy. We are open every day from 10 to 4. All of our operations will be in full swing, including the Shanty Men and Kettle Boys. Dress for the weather with waterproof footwear. It’s mud and puddle season and I have left a few puddles on the trail for young (and old) folks to play in. Enjoy!
Picture of filters hanging on the porch:
The ghosts of maple season present – to borrow from Charles Dickens. Syrup filters hang in a suspicious attitude in the morning sun to dry on our front porch. Sherry’s system works really well and it’s hard for me to forget the filters when I leave the house. As finished syrup is drawn from the evaporator, it is a super saturated solution, therefore some of the minerals that had dissolved in the sap have become solids (precipitates). With our soils, these solids are mainly small grains of calcium which need to be removed to make the syrup clear. We use these polyester prefilters (the ghosts) to remove the largest of these particles before the syrup enters the filter press which makes the syrup crystal clear. Two filters per batch, up to twelve batches per day, lots of washing. However, it is quicker and easier to wash filters than it is to clean the filter press, so our “ghosts” improve efficiency.
As I was leaving – without the filters – I encountered a barred owl who was eyeing the house and the filters. With excellent camouflage, barred owls are common in our forests where they nest in tree cavities and make a telltale call – “who, who, who cooks for youuuu”. They are terrific predators and help control squirrel and rodent populations.
Barred owl in a hemlock tree:
Migratory birds are appearing now and I am always pleased to report that the red-shouldered hawks have returned to our forests. Their telltale cry can be heard as they soar above the woods. I also appreciate seeing the waterfowl return to our countryside, feeding in sheetwaters on fields as they establish nests, as well as the raspy call of red-winged blackbirds which inhabit the wetlands. Diverse habitats like old growth forests, fields and wetlands support an incredible number of native species for us to enjoy.
Keep your eyes and ears open as you walk around our trails – you may be surprised what you encounter.
If you're hoping to visit over the Easter Weekend, learn more about what you'll find in store at Fortune Farms.