WILTON – For the 31st year, the state’s sugarhouses will be open to the public for Maine Maple Sunday on March 23.
Nearly 100 maple syrup producers across the state are participating in the event, some opening up both Saturday and Sunday, for visitors to enjoy the freshly made maple syrup and candy, demonstrations of syrup production, sugarbush tours and a variety of other family activities.
In Franklin County, a dozen producers are participating with half of those in the Wilton area. The Wilton Group’s Think Local First campaign is promoting the event.
A study conducted by the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry; University of Maine and the Maine Maple Producers Association found that Maine has the third largest maple industry in the U.S., and is mostly produced on small farms.
Maine’s maple industry—which counts the licensed producers and sales at retail food stores and businesses impacted by Maine Maple Sunday—generates 567 full- and part-time jobs and $17.3 million in labor income, the study said.
Below is a list of the participating Maine Maple Sunday producers of Franklin County:
Black Acres Farm
123 Black Road, Wilton, ME 04294
Just 2 miles off Rt 2&4 in Wilton on Munson Road
Description of Activities: Maple products for sale, maple syrup, maple candy, maple cotton candy, etc. Free samples of maple syrup on ice cream, maple bake beans. See farm animals, beef cows, pigs, and chickens. Farm tours, restrooms, bus tours, and school tours. Follow the signs. Hours: March 22,
23, 9AM to 4PM
(207)491 – 5443 of jblack@msad54.org
Bowley Brook Maple Syrup
420 Masterman Neighborhood Rd, Weld, ME 04285
Rt 142 Chase Corner (5 miles from downtown Weld North and 5 miles from Philips Rt 4 & 142 South) From
Weld: take a right on to Center Hill Road (dirt) travel 1 mile to Masterman Neighborhood Rd, bear right and we are just ahead on your right.
Description of Activities: Maple syrup demonstrations, free ice cream and other maple treats. Sugarbush tours. Wood-fired. Restrooms, handicapped accessible, bus & school tours.
Hours: March 23, 10AM – 3PM
(207)491- 1660 or john@bowleybrook.com, http://www.bowleybrook.com
Day Mountain Maple Products
We are located on Rte. 4, just two miles south of Strong, and 7/10 of a mile north of Tyler’s Auto Body Shop. Watch for the signs.
Description of Activities: Come celebrate the 31st anniversary of Maine Maple Sunday as we demonstrate the production of pure Maine maple syrup using a 4 x 10 woodfired evaporator, without steam hoods. Tours of the sugarbush on a tractor drawn sled. Pipeline sap collection, using a vac-
Pipeline sap collection, using a vacuum system will be demonstrated; ample supplies of maple products and refreshments. Sugarbush tours, restrooms.
Hours: March 23, 9AM – 3PM
(207) 778- 2716 or daymtnmaple@yahoo.com
Hall Farms Maple Products
P.O. Box 72, East Dixfield, ME 04227
Description of Activities: An 8th generation working dairy farm with a passion for making maple syrup. Come to breakfast at the old school (on site) then tour the new 70×130 foot cow barn, constructed in 2013. Then off to the sugarhouse for free ice cream with maple syrup (while supplies last.) Farm tours, restrooms, bus tours. Hours: March 23, breakfast 8AM – 2PM, sugarhouse 9AM – 2PM
(207)645-2862 or rodney@hallfarms.com, http://www.hallfarms.com/
Jackson Mountain Farms
Intervale Rd., Temple, ME 04984
Description of Activities: Open Maine Maple Sunday from 11AM-3PM, self guid- ed sugarbush tours. Syrup for sale. Snacks. Sugarhouse on Orchard Hill Rd. Turn left in village onto Lisalo Rd, 1 mile, follow the signs. School tours welcome. Hours: March 23, 11PM – 3PM, (207)778-5023 or jhodgkins5@aol.com
Long Drive Acres
319 Temple Road, Wilton, ME 04294
Description of Activities: Check out our reverse osmosis and observe a 3×8 wood fired evaporator turn sweet sap into pure maple syrup. We will demonstrate maple cream production. Browse the showroom and sample fresh sweet syrup on ice cream. Ride the hay wagon to the sap house from the road. Farm tours, sugarbush tours, restrooms, handicapped accessible. Hours: March 23, 10AM – 4PM, (207)778-9618 or longdriveacres@gmail.com
Maple Hill Farm
390 Titcomb Hill Road, Farmington, ME 04938
From Farmington turn onto Anson Street at courthouse, straight up hill becomes Titcomb Hill Road.
Farm at top of hill. Description of Activities: Sugarbush tour with demonstrations of syrup making start to finish, gift table, free samples, coffee, maple cakes, bread, cookies, bake beans, maple sundaes, taste of syrup, syrup for sale, raffle. Sugarbush tours, school tours. Hours: March 23 10AM – 3PM, (207) 778-4506.
Maple Valley Farms, Inc.
1304 Franklin Road (Office Location: 41 Masterman Road) Jay, ME 04239
Description of Activities: Taffy on snow, maple syrup samples, ice cream with syrup, all complimentary samples. Maple syrup and maple candy for sale. Farm tours, restrooms, handicapped accessible, bus and school tours. Hours: March 23, 9AM-3PM, (207) 645-2328 or pti@megalink.net
Mystic Valley Maples
PO Box 37, East Dixfield, ME 04227
Description of Activities: Old fashioned wood fired evaporator experience, great access on RT2. We love to have visitors anytime. Restrooms, handicapped accessible, bus tours, school tours. Hours: March 22& 23, 8AM-4 PM. Call (207)645-4481 or email jimharvell@yahoo.com
Plaisted Farm Maple Products
132 Borough Rd., Jay, ME 04239
Description of Activities: We are a small operation with about 600 taps boiling on a 3×10 wood fired evaporator. Maine Maple Sunday Learn about the process of making syrup, demonstrations and free samples, ice cream, donuts, coffee, and hot cocoa. Hours: March 23, 9AM-4PM, Call (207)578- 0713 or email plaisted.farm@gmail.com
River Run Farm Maple Products
968 South Strong Road (P.O. Box 132) Strong, ME 04983
From the south: Route 4 north out of Farmington.Take route 149 (South Strong Road) for 3.5 miles. Farm is on your right and sap house is beside the road. From the north: Take Route 4 to Strong, cross bridge and take route 149/234 right for 1/4 mile. Description of Activities: Open House for Maine Maple Sunday, see calves, lambs and maple operations. Call (207)684-4733 or riverrunfarm@tds.net
Sunrise Maple Farm
5 More Acre Road, Wilton, ME 04294
Description of Activities: Inside breakfast, light lunch with ice cream and syrup. We will be warm while we eat this year. We will be boiling starting at 8AM and will continue until we run out of sap. We have approximately 15,500 taps this year and growing. Ask us about our second location. Sugarbush tours, restrooms, bus and school tours. Hours: March 23 8AM-3PM. Call (207)450-2857 or email Sunrisemaplefarm@gmail.com
