Sugarbush Farm

Maple lovers unite… it is time to make your annual pilgrimage to your local sugarbush farm. For me, that means Dumfries Maples, along the Saint John River Valley. Luckily for me, it is just 35 minutes from where I live in Fredericton, New Brunswick. My friend Lori joined me, because she - like me - has a sweet tooth that was aching for pure maple syrup on pancakes, and some of that sweet, sweet, maple taffy.

Sweet Golden Treasure

Dumfries Maples typically opens from mid-March to mid-April, when the weather provides the ideal conditions for sap to run. Stretches of warmer days and cooler nights spell happiness for sugarbush farmers. Ideally, they like a range of -5 C to +5 C to begin their operations. It was that perfect time of year again, and as we pulled into Dumfries Maples, I not only saw the beautiful cedar log Pancake House, but also a large black cauldron hanging over an open fire in front of it. Steam was rising above it, and I thought about what must be simmering inside. I could almost taste the sweet golden treasure that Lori and I were in search of.

Sugarbush Experience

Once inside the cedar lodge, we were greeted by Jane Scott. She and her brother Nathan Scott, are the co-owners, first establishing Dumfries Maples as a small sugarbush operation, in 1998. The next several years saw constant expansion of the size of their sugarbush, and the production of syrup, and other maple products. Then in 2009-10, a new sugarhouse, and a cedar log cabin, aka the Pancake House were constructed. Nathan and his father Don Scott, built it themselves. They worked for over a year, just bringing in a few extra hands on a couple heavy jobs, but otherwise - it was all them! Dumfries Maples now offers a variety of sweet maple products, a sugarbush tour, maple meals, and the complete sugarbush experience.

Pancake House

Well, first things first, we agreed, and Lori and I found a seat for our maple meal. To ensure a spot at Dumfries Maples’ popular Pancake House, Lori had booked a reservation a few days earlier, which I discovered, is advised for all. Some folks even book a month in advance, but Jane said that isn’t quite necessary. She did highly recommend everyone make a reservation though, as spots fill up quickly. Most spring weekends are fully booked by Thursday. Come-by-chance weekend meal drop-ins are not advised, especially during maple syrup production. They do their best to squeeze everyone in that shows up, but there is no guarantee that you will get a seat without a reservation. Therefore, it is best to secure your spot, so you are not disappointed. Dumfries Maples is often open on weekends during the summer months, too. The Lodge is a wedding, reception, and special event venue as well, and around the festive season, Jane and her cookhouse crew do Christmas Dinners. Everything is made in house - and this talented staff can make pancakes to turkey dinners. I knew I was in for a treat! Check Dumfries Maples website for more information on all they offer.

Golden Advice

Lori is a regular here, so we were set with a reservation, and before I knew it, a steaming hot coffee, and menu were in front of me. Then Lori gave me her sage ordering advice, which I now pass on to you, because it is golden! 1) Order one pancake, not two. Huh? I know what you are thinking, but Lori said even her hubby Mike cannot eat two pancakes, and he can eat! So, I heeded her advice, and boy was she right! The pancake that arrived was thick and fluffy, and as big as the plate itself, and I could not finish it, although I gave it a good college try. 2) Get the Buffalo sausage. It is heart-healthy, and oh, so tasty! 3) Get the pancakes, ‘cuz you can have toast & eggs anywhere - anytime, and Hello! You are at the Pancake House! Plus, you want some of that pure maple syrup, you have been craving, don’t you?! 4) Order the biscuits with a side of maple butter to go. Thank me (and Lori) later when you are enjoying them at home. By the way, Lori’s hubby Mike works at Dumfries Maples on a part-time basis, so he added these extra two tips: 5) Get a side of baked beans. I am told they are delish, and 6) Put a teaspoon of Dumfries Pure Maple Syrup in your coffee. And I say, YUM to that last tip, especially! All good advice, and if you follow it, you will be soaking up that sweet maple syrup, and tucking that golden advice away for your next visit, too.

Sweet Adventure

Fully satiated, from the best pancake breakfast I have had in a long time, we pushed away from the table. Next up was a walk up the hill to the Sugary, to meet Nathan to see exactly how pure maple syrup is made. I learned that sugarbush farmers keep a close eye on the weather as their guide. Above zero temperatures warm up the frozen sap in the maple trees roots, allowing it to move up the tree towards the buds. Cooler nights, and even snow on the ground, helps cool the sap so that it rises slowly, and can be extracted before it reaches the buds. Sugarbush farmers are at the mercy of the weather; they hope to have a good sap run from mid March until Easter or longer, but they never know - they have no control over it. Some years are good and sap runs for 5-6 weeks or even longer. Other years, they have several warm days in a row that cut the season to two weeks or less, as the sap runs too quickly to the buds. It is times like this that are challenging, and production is over before they have barely begun. Sugarbush farmers obviously always hope for longer runs, but the average is around 4 weeks.

History of Dumfries Maples

Sugarbush is the plantation of sugar maples, and sugaring refers to collecting sap from maple trees, and boiling it down into syrup or sugar, and this tradition has been in the Scott’s family for four generations now. Nathan & Jane’s ancestors traditionally made maple syrup for themselves, their close friends, and neighbours. I also learned their property has quite an interesting past, too. In the late 1800’s, William Edward Scott ran a halfway house on the property. Historically, this means something different than it does today. It was more like a small hotel, a stop for stagecoaches and steamships half-way between Fredericton and Woodstock. People stopped to rest for the night, and rented a room in the large house on the property. The railway replaced the stagecoach in 1915; and steamships continued coming until the 1930's. The 40’s & 50’s saw a return to a family farm, and woodlot on the property. Then the Scott farmhouse was expropriated for what was the new Highway102 in the 60’s, making way for the changes brought on by the Mactaquac Dam. The Scott's home and barns sat where the current road passes, and the river was less than half the width it is today. Like so many of their neighbours, the Scott family moved, and their maple trees went untapped for almost for 30 years.

Dumfries Maples Label

Nathan graduated from Forestry at the University of New Brunswick in the late ‘90s, and began studying the art of making maple syrup, and soon thereafter began tapping trees on the family property in 1998. Jane, also a graduate from UNB, but working in the healthcare field at the time, jumped in with two feet right alongside her brother. It was always Nathan’s long-term vision to do something with the family property, and that he did. It has been a steady, gradual build over the years for the Scott siblings, from a hobby farm to a successful commercial operation. In 2007-2008, they were up to 1500 taps, and the Dumfries Maples label was established, producing maple syrup, butter, cream, and various sweet treats. They also began selling their products at the local farmers market. Presently, they have 6000 taps, and sell out their syrup production every year. In fact, all of their maple products are sold only in New Brunswick. Dumfries Maples distribute their syrup at several local businesses, and they sell their maple products year-round at the Boyce Farmer’s Market in Fredericton. They also have an online business, and they do sell their products and other local maple products in the lodge as well. They carry a lovely Maple Sugar Soap produced by a local woman in Fredericton, and a Maple Cream Soda that is produced locally using Dumfries Maples syrup. Nathan and Jane do not export their syrup, and they have no major expansions planned at the moment, except to add more taps, and keep going the way they are - giving people the best possible product, and the best sugarbush experience they possibly can.

Maple Syrup

In the beginning,Dumfries Maples collected all their sap with cans. Today, 3/4 of their production is serviced with pipeline. Sophistication of boilers, and evaporating equipment has changed over the years too, but what has stayed consistent is the formula to collect sap, to then boil, and create maple syrup, and that ratio is 40:1. It takes 40 litres of sap to make just one litre of pure maple syrup. So, they work hard to create each drop of pure maple syrup that we smother our pancakes with. Nathan has a small crew that works the sugarbush, and Jane rolls up her sleeves when not in the cookhouse, and does whatever she can to help, and so does their dad. “He is out in the woods every single day, working side-by-side with them,” Jane shared. “He’s in his 80’s – and he just loves it. He’s the best worker out there by far - he is the first one out in the morning – and he is the last one to leave – he runs circles around the others, and is a great example to the younger workers.” When not occupied with maple syrup, the Scotts are busy working on their Christmas Tree business on another property in Stanley, so they are not an idle crew. Jane assured me their year is pretty much filled up with those two businesses.

Sugarbush Tour

In spring, the Scotts are especially busy, and besides being in full-out maple syrup production, and running a pancake house - they give tours. They have a crew of six in the cookhouse, and a couple of workers in the sugar woods – all local people. Then of course, there is Nathan, and Jane, and their dad. A typical full sugarbush tour begins in the woods, where you are shown the stand of maple trees, and how to tap a tree, then Nathan gives a full tour of the sugarhouse, and explains the workings of the evaporator, and the whole maple syrup process. Nathan and Jane welcome anyone to come visit, but in order to make sure they have space, they ask larger groups to please contact them to book a tour.

Tap into Spring

Relax and enjoy a spectacular view of the River Valley when visiting Dumfries Maples, or walk or snowshoe their beautiful sugarbush nature trails. Snowshoes, in both adult & child sizes, are available to rent for $5 each. Dogs on a leash are also welcome. Call ahead to check current trail conditions, and to reserve your snowshoes. Enjoy seeing birds and other small forest creatures, and keep an eye out for deer and moose tracks. It is a pleasant 20-30 minute stroll to do it all. It really is a lovely area to explore. Come to Dumfries, and tap into spring.

Maple Taffy

The maple taffy experience is not to be missed - it is heavenly! Maple syrup is boiled, then poured into straight rows spaced apart on an ice-lined tray, or directly onto the snow. As it begins to cool, it is rolled onto the tip of a wooden stick for your tasting pleasure. Sweet dreams are made of these. This irresistible candy is melt-in-your-mouth good, but it can be sticky, too. Best to pop it in your mouth, and savour every lick. I ran into some friends enjoying this treat, then met Hannah (9) and Henry (5), who were visiting with their parents. Henry told me he has been coming his whole life - that this is their annual family spring tradition, and his dad shared a photo with me, to prove it. Watching Henry, wait for the taffy to cool - enough for him to pick it up and eat it (maybe 20 seconds) was the cutest - and I believe the longest 20 seconds of his life.

Welcome Spring

When in line for my taffy experience, I met Simon Mitchell, who has been working with Nathan during maple production for over 10 years now. They studied Forestry together at UNB, and he helps out every spring. I also met Sylvain Pitre taking photos here. He just started with Dumfries Maples, as a social media support. As Nathan shared “I don’t know anything about that, and neither does Jane! They tell me, it’s time.” It is brilliant, and I am excited to see Sylvain help them launch an Instagram page. In the meanwhile, Nathan and Jane continue to focus on what they do best, and that is making maple syrup, and giving visitors a sugarbush experience. During the maple run that means running the meals, taffy and tours, Saturdays & Sundays from 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m., and serving breakfast Fridays 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. During the week, they are in production, and also giving group and school tours. Jane and Nathan enjoy meeting the people that come to visit their sugarbush, and they both love seeing them enjoy all of what they offer. A lot of people enjoy learning about the process – it is a new experience for many of them, and the taffy is the highlight for a lot of people, too – kids especially. And then there are the regulars, who make it their annual pilgrimage like Hannah & Henry’s family. That makes Jane and Nathan’s day!

I did ask about that cauldron out front too, and discovered it is a throwback to how things were done years ago, and it is just filled with water - not sap. But it sure added to the charm of the setting. Come welcome spring and experience the real sweet stuff - the high-quality pure maple syrup that Dumfries Maples produces, along with a wide selection of maple products. Learn how maple syrup is made, and taste some sweet, sweet taffy. Be sure to call ahead to make a reservation for a maple meal in the Pancake House. Oh, and order the pancakes, and tell Nathan & Jane, the Maritimes Maven sent you.

This post was sponsored by Dumfries Maples; however, all thoughts and opinions are my own. Follow Maritimes Maven on FaceBook, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn & Threads. Subscribe to be the first to receive my latest articles. Share articles you love with your social media community so they, too, will discover, There’s No Place Like Home!