Maple Syrup
Maple sugar and syrup are synonymous with Vermont. Ask anyone what comes to mind when you mention the state of Vermont and you will probably hear; snow, cheese and maple syrup, but not necessarily in that order. There are over 80 sugar makers registered with the Vermont Maple Organization and so many more small family operations that are for personal use. It would be impossible to write one blog post about all of them, so as I make my way through this gloriously sweet state, I plan on highlighting some of my favorites. Today, I want to talk to you about The Morse Farm Maple Sugar Works in Montpelier.
History
The Morse sugar farm in Montpelier Vermont is edging towards it’s ninth generation of ownership. When it started out the farm was a dairy, but dairy farming is relentless work, with an often unreliable income. Dairy farmers never go on vacation and they are never gone from the homestead for more than the hours between milking. It’s a hard life and though I am every grateful for the milk and cheese, the truth is gallon for gallon, maple syrup is a better bet. So in the mid sixties the Burr family sold off their herd and looked towards their sugar bush for income and the rest is history. Burr Morse, current owner of the farm, is a bit of a legend in the area. He is equal parts humor and entrepreneur, while maintaining a very Vermont demeanor. Can anyone say ayah? Burr is the one in the family who realized that family farming had to diversify and appeal to the public. If you wan to read a bit more about Burr and his impressive lists of accomplishments, I highly recommend the sweet and short piece done by Green Living Journal. It will also offer a link to purchase one of Burrs books, which will truly give you a sense of the man himself. Burr is getting on in years, so it seems that the farm is being passed onto his younger son Tom, who is responsible for building the beautiful wood shed in the photo above. It just happens to be my super cute boy in the photo as well.
Down Home Kitchen
Montpelier is about an hour from my doorstep, which is where the Morse Sugar Farm is, so although it was the impetus for our adventure, it was by no means our only stop. We started at Hubbard Park, which sits just above Montpelier and I will tell you all about it in a later post, and got some very non-strenuous hiking in, but enough to work up an appetite. I do not consider myself to be a restaurant critic, but sometimes you just stumble upon a place that not only has great food, but the whole experience just feels warm and fuzzy. That is what we discovered when we all chose to try Down Home Kitchen. Their primary reputation is for their unbelievable biscuits, which yes, come in gluten free, but it’s the whole place that will have you smiling. My favorite part was the large communal harvest table running down the center, with periwinkle chairs of all shapes lining both sides. It reminded me of the tables we sat at in Germany, when I was a child. Two or three different families, all sharing a meal. There is a long counter to sit at that reminded me of a soda shops in the fifties. It felt safe, simple and friendly. They also have a coffee bar outside, if you have to wait for a table and you might, because they do not accept reservations and they are always busy. They are also only open for breakfast and lunch, so don’t procrastinate.
After our bellies were full of blackened catfish on a biscuit, with their version of home fries, (a whole baby red potato fried till the skin is crispy and the inside is practically mashed), we headed over to our finally destination.
Morse Farm Maple Sugar Works
The first thing you notice when you pull into the parking lot is a miniature of the Vermont Statehouse. The farm is open year round but my guess is the statehouse will be gone by winters first snow. My kids couldn’t help but photo bomb, but it was really quite realistic in it’s scale. The next thing you notice is that folks are just hanging out all over the lawn and making themselves at home. We happened to visit in August when the farm is starting to slow down a bit, as the summer season was coming to and end. Sugar is only being boiled in the spring, so that’s the time to come, if you really want to see how it’s done. Morse farm hosts all sort of events throughout the summer, so be sure to check their website. They start with sugar on snow in the spring and then even have an occasional summer concert scheduled. But even if you come at a slow time of year, it is still worth the drive. Their are farm critters to pet and you can walk the sugar bush through trails that have been cut into the forest. It’s a great way to wear out your little ones in the fresh country air. Don’t forget to watch the movie about the history of the farm, featuring none other than Burr Morse, in the woodshed. In true Vermont fashion, you just help yourself and press play on the DVD player. We perused the gift shop and tested some of the different grades of syrup, but in the end decided that what we really wanted was a maple creemee.
Now you flatlanders from away are thinking, what is a creemee? Well that’s what we call soft serve. And in Vermont when something says maple, it has to actually include real maple syrup. That’s the law, you can’t say maple if it’s not the real thing (McDonald found that out when they offered a maple breakfeast oatmeal. No Log Cabin syrup here. So don’t be worried, your creemee will be delicious and ours was. They even had gluten free cones! Finally, if you decide you don’t want to lug gallons of maple syrup on the airplane, Morse farm has you covered. Just click on the title link and you can have everything delivered right to your door.
Morse Farm is located on 1168 County road, Montpelier, Vermont and is about two miles out of the capital city. It is easy to spend a day exploring Montpelier and the surrounding area. If you wanted to, you could hit another sugar house, but I’ll save that for later. Flatlanders Welcome!
