WEST ARM SUGAR

Settled in the hills along the West Arm of Walloon Lake, old growth maple trees stand idly by as they have for generations. Significant both ecologically, and culturally, maple trees thrive throughout the landscape of Northern Michigan, and have been regarded and respected for thousands of years thanks to their sugary sap that flows each spring. Some of the trees that produce our syrup are old enough to have been tapped by the Indigenous Odawa people, and to whom we are grateful for their stewardship and teachings of the magic of maple.

This region is a living reminder of the way that nature defines function. The land here still tells the story of the glaciers that carved the Great Lakes, and the elements seem to combine perfectly for this kind of alchemy to occur: warm, sunny microclimates of hillsides and valleys, juxtaposed with a cool, temperate climate provided by the winds off Lake Michigan. Artesian springs bubble water up through fissures in the bedrock below. And the sandy soil, relics of ancient dunes, provide stability and drainage for these sentinels to keep their roots dry and healthy. Nature built this place slowly. And we’re lucky enough to learn from it.

Being a “Sugarer” is patient work. Each batch of our syrup starts out as 60-80 gallons of sap and is then slowly boiled down outdoors over a wood stove and fed with wood that we gather and cut from the property. Each batch yields 1.5-2 gallons of syrup, we bottle it and package it by hand, mark each bottle with the batch number, and have the pleasure of getting to share it with the local community, as well as friends and family across the country.

Sure, there are modern ways to speed up the process, but we’ve found satisfaction in following tradition shaped by time. And we hope every sip makes you slow down for a moment, too.