EASTON, Maine — A strange winter is giving way to an early maple syrup season for C.J. and Jodi King, and also putting them on track to make a hobby a little bit more of a business.
The Kings, owners of the Maple Moose, a sugarhouse on Bowers Road in Easton, started tapping some of their more than 1,000 maple trees on Monday Feb, 22. By that Friday, they had enough sap for about 20 gallons of maple syrup — the earliest they’ve ever processed sap in their eight years of commercial syrup making.
“They’re an amazing tree,” said C.J. King, a custom home builder.
About a decade ago, the Kings started making syrup with 15 taps and a turkey roaster pot. Today, they’re producing more than 500 gallons of syrup a year — with 10 miles of vacuum tubing, a reverse osmosis system, an automatic bottler, a kitchen, store and website selling around the country.
“When we bought the property 19 years ago, I had no intentions of doing maple,” said King. “I got bit by the sugar bug. It started out as a hobby and it’s more a part-time job for me now.”
“The biggest draw was it put me in the woods,” King said. “And it’s something that you actually made yourself. You can’t beat that feeling.”
In some ways, King said, “sugar is in my blood.”
King grew up in Easton on a small dairy farm not far from the border with New Brunswick, and although his dad never made much syrup, the family got some every spring from another farmer who gave them some in exchange for a calf.
“I can remember running home from school to get some toast made and spoon some syrup on it,” he said.
King also learned a lot about about maple syrup making from his late brother, who ended up dairy farming and harvesting syrup on a small scale. “He would enjoy seeing what I’ve done,” King said.
The Kings have dived into the science and technology of maple trees and syrup, following the research and advice of university extension services and attending conferences. They initially used a gravity-fed system and now are using vacuum tubing, which just about doubles the tap flow, King said.
“With other taps during harvest season, the tree builds up pressure and diminishes the flow. With a vacuum power-tap, we’re lowering the pressure at the tap hole and that’s how we get the liquid.”
The Kings use a reverse osmosis system to concentrate the sap before boiling — and reduce their fuel consumption by about half, he said. “We filter some of the water out, so it actually saves us time, money and energy, and we reuse the water for cleaning the tank. There’s nothing in it, it’s pure, so it’s great for cleaning.”
They’re also starting to learn the nuances of their trees, which are divided between four different groves, including some with red maples. “One year, I eliminated the reds and I didn’t think the syrup was as good.”
Looking forward, beyond this season King said he plans to keep building the Maple Moose.
“Every year, we just keep adding and adding, as long as I got a market for our syrup. We’re not big enough for this to be a full-time job. I’d like it to be. If it gets to that then I want to grow it at my own pace.”
Maple Moose and other area sugar houses will have the opportunity to showcase their operations to the public during Maine Maple Sunday on March 27.
