Maple Syrup
We make our own maple syrup each spring from about 500 taps here at Sunrise. This isn’t a large operation, and we do it primarily for fun (and to cover the cost of operating a sugar house). In our best year, we made 94 gallons. In our worst, we made just 17. Whatever we have we’ll sell in the barn until supplies run out. Chuck siphons off 6 gallons a year for personal use, calling it overhead, which covers a sizable pile of pancakes, morning oatmeal, evening vanilla ice cream, and various marinades and salad dressings.
Honey
The bees' main job on the farm is pollination, but we're more than happy to harvest their extra honey. We look forward to their first flight on a warm February day as a reminder that spring is just around the corner. In the summer we watch them pollinate white buckwheat flowers just before we mow this beautiful cover crop. And the goldenrod flow kicks us into harvest and preservation as the bees stock pile food for the winter. Look for occasional honey sales on your CSA pickup day.