The end of syrup came in a flash. It seems like we were just setting taps a couple of weeks ago, but time flies while you're having fun. It was a strain, at times, keeping up production of the syrup. At first the sap ran slow, then it ran much, much quicker. We were filling 55 gallon barrels every few days and scrambling at times to fill water cooler, chest coolers, and just about anything else that could hold the sap in volume. The last two weeks of the season were a constant cycle of collecting, shipping, cutting wood, boiling sap, filtering and bottling syrup. I was fortunate to have to travel to Jackson, MI for a work function as it sits mere minutes away from the Sugarbush Supplies Co. in Mason, MI and I got to stock up on bottles for the final push to the finish line.
Just in the last week of boiling and bottling, we made nearly 5 gallons of syrup. That was equal to what we had produced for the first month of the season and was over half of what we had done the entirety of the 2017 season. I was exhausted. The kids were exhausted. Hannah was exhausted. Only Greg seemed to have some gas in the tank to keep collecting.
As our sights turn to what's next, I take solace in the fact that the task of making syrup is really enjoyable to me and my family. It's gets us all outside when the weather would have most sane people staying indoors and it creates memories in the suga
rbush or in the Sugar Shanty. I hope when Ella and Carter are older they'll recall these times spent making syrup and appreciate that they were doing something that not many kids get to do.
The inventory shelves are stocked and sales are moving at a steady pace. I've been very pleased to sell a few bulk orders and am anxious to see the returns from placing items in a couple of storefronts. In a few weeks I'll be testing the waters at a local vendor/craft show and I have high hopes that sales will go well. I've been scanning ideas on Pinterest for how to set up my booth and attract customers. Among the other vendors, I hope my homemade Maple Syrup, Jams, & Jellies attracts some attention and perhaps drives some return customers for future sales. So, I continue on this journey of faith and hope that good fortune follows.
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9
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