Preschool field trip - sugaring

We headed to Sugarbush farms with Sawyer's preschool for a little field trip on sugaring. That week just so happened to have gorgeous weather and it was 80 degrees that day. Great for walking around a farm...not so great for sugaring! The weather has to be below freezing during the night and then warm during the day for the sap to flow. The lady giving us some samples said they had only made 70% of what they had made the year before...
They weren't boiling but we were still able to look around at where they boil, see the horses, taste some maple syrup and cheese and go on a nature walk. You can see that Sawyer is the only one of his friends not wearing boots. He had them in the car but I thought he could go without. It was fine until we were walking around in the woods and his entire foot was engulfed in a muddy mess.
After he got cleaned up (and calmed down...he was in quite a panic!) we went and bought some cheese and crackers and had a little picnic before heading home.

Sugarbush Farm

Yesterday was gorgeous! It was in the high 50's and sunny and just beautiful! We wanted to get out and have an adventure so we drove up to Woodstock, VT and went to Sugarbush Farm. They make cheese and maple syrup and we were hoping they would be boiling one more time today but it had warmed up too much for the sap to be flowing. We did get to see the trees tapped with lines headed into barrels and the sugar house where they do the boiling. We also got to taste all their cheeses and syrup and it was all very yummy! We decided to buy some cheese, crackers, maple candy and locally made maple soda and cream soda and then we drove into the town of Woodstock and had a picnic. Woodstock is a very touristy town with lots of little shops. We ate in the town green in the middle where the snow was all melted and the kids could play in the grass and find sticks! They were in heaven! After we ate and relaxed in the sunshine we went for a little walk through town and stopped in a few shops. There is a little river that flows through town and the kids liked standing on the bridge and looking at it. It was a beautiful day and we can't wait to have more like it! Hello spring!

Sugaring

Today we were invited to a little sugaring party with some people from church. We learned how you boil sap, tasted some raw sap (which looks and tastes like slightly sweetened water), ate homemade donuts and fruit dipped in syrup, ate sugar on snow (yum!), went sledding and tried to keep warm. It was really fun. We love experiencing Vermont...even if it freezing! Unfortunately I brought a camera with a dead batter so I only have phone pictures...