The Magic of Maple Syrup @ Husky Meadows Farm

 At Husky Meadows Farm in Norfolk, they enjoy watching the change of the seasons. One of their favorite times of year is March because it signals that winter is ebbing and our planting season will soon begin. 

What they think is extra special about March, is that the temperatures drop below freezing at night and go above freezing during the day. This weather pattern signals the sweetest time of year when the sap of the Sugar Maple tree begins to run.  The sweet sap rises from the roots of the maple tree bringing sweetness and nourishment to it, and delight to those that know how and when to forage it. Tapping Sugar Maples is a centuries-old tradition that began with  Native American communities living in the area.

About Maple Trees

The scientific name of Sugar Maple is Acer saccharum. This tree is native to North America and is the most commonly found species among the seven types of maples. It grows in abundance throughout southern Ontario, Nova Scotia, New England, Texas, Georgia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, the Mid-Atlantic states, and right here in Connecticut. Sap contains minerals, vitamins, and some natural sugars that feed this magnificent tree. Sugar Maples are slow-growing trees that increase in height by about 24 inches a year. Mature trees can grow up to 75 feet tall, and some, have grown over 100 feet tall. When Sugar Maple trees begin to bud with leaves, usually in April, the time for collecting maple sap is over, because it takes on a bitter taste. In addition to maple sap, in the fall, when this tree is ablaze with color, it also produces large quantities of seeds that are capable of germination with the added benefit of providing food for animals like turkeys, finches, squirrels, and chipmunks. 

Maple syrup is a centuries-old New England tradition

How Native Americans Used Maple Syrup

Native Americans introduced European settlers to the wonders of maple syrup. They honored the maple tree in ceremonies each year to ensure good maple harvests.  The tribe would gather around the tree, also known as a "sugarbush" address it in ritual language and offer the tree tobacco incense.  Historic records indicate that the collecting and processing of maple sap was a social as well as a working occasion.  Women would tap the trees; men would cut the wood for the fire needed to boil the sap, and children tended to the sap as it boiled. 

Native American Sugar Camp

The sap was considered a delicacy and one Ojibwa legend mentions a maple syrup feast.  It was often prepared as a cool drink with herbs in the warm months and made into a hot tea with a variety of roots, leaves, and bark in the winter. Maple sugar was also used as a basic seasoning year-round, eaten with grains, fish, fruit, vegetables, and dried berries.  Maple syrup could be stored for well over a year making it a valuable food source and was frequently eaten as candy for quick energy.  It was also used as a preservative.

Husky Meadows Farm & Maple Syrup

At Husky Meadows Farm, we don't believe that maple syrup is just for pancakes! With that in mind, each March, we celebrate this delectable amber nectar with an immersive and magical culinary event that highlights all that you can do with maple syrup in the kitchen. Our culinary team uses the freshest farm-to-table ingredients along with maple syrup in both sweet and savory ways that will amaze the palate. In addition to the food and cocktails, and different ways to use maple syrup we will learn about the different grades of this nectar of nature and the best ways to use it. For information about Husky Meadows Farm, their upcoming culinary events, dinners, and weekend overnight packages visit their website http://www.huskymeadowsfarm.com

Check out the events @ Husky Meadows Farm

Did You Know...

It takes at least forty years for a sugar maple tree to grow before it is big enough to tap.

On average, a tapped maple tree will produce ten to twenty gallons of sap per tap.  Most trees have just one tap.

The first full moon during sap running season is called the Maple Moon or the Sugar Moon.

The sugar maple is one of America's favorite trees and more states have claimed it as their state tree than any other species.

Squirrels, whitetail deer, snowshoe hares, and moose feed on the seeds, twigs, and leaves of the sugar maple.

John Smith was among the first settlers that noted the Native Americans' sugar processing and the fact that they used it for barter.

In 2001 baseball player Barry Bonds switched from an ash wood baseball bat to one made of maple and hit 73 home runs!

The largest and nationally acclaimed sugar maple champion tree is located in Charlemont, Massachusetts.  It is 112 feet tall with a diameter of 6.18 feet with a crown spread of 91 feet with a total point count of 368.

A sugar maple tree in Lyme, Connecticut measured in 2012 measured 123 feet tall with a circumference of 18.25 feet and a crown spread of 86 feet with a total point count of 364.

Visit Tina's Baskets and Woven Arts and a Rock and Mineral Show this Weekend

 Tina's Baskets and Woven Art has just announced the first-ever Rock and Mineral Show at Whiting Mills at 100 Whiting Street, Winsted, Connecticut on Saturday, March 18, and Sunday, March 19, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Head to Whiting Mills and Tina's Basket's and Woven Art to Win this Basket March 18 & 19 

 

Start your day exploring the labyrinthine halls of Whiting Mills at Tina's Baskets in Suite 305, on the right as you enter this amazing factory complex. Tina, a National and International award-winning artist will be in her studio (with George her ginger-colored cat) weaving her colorful wares that range from baskets, bowls, wall hangings, and sculptures, to her newly released line of Hands, called “Perceived Languages.”

 

A highlight of this weekend’s visit to Tina’s Baskets and Woven Art is the chance to enter a contest she is sponsoring. The winner will receive one of Tina’s artfully created baskets made with hand-dyed reeds and locally foraged bittersweet vine, a signature of Tina's baskets. 

 

As you make your way, to the main hall where the Rock and Mineral Show is taking place, you may find several other artisans that have thrown open their studio doors to celebrate this event, the first of its kind at Whiting Mills. In addition to baskets and woven art @ Tina's, you may discover a fascinating selection of curios, antiques, jewelry, herbs and tea, crystals, candles, and even a hobby shop.

Visit a real life artist's gallery! 

Rock and Mineral shows are popular the world over. At this show, you will find amazing rocks, gemstones, minerals, and fossils from all over the world from thirty professional dealers. There will be a wide array of rock specimens, cabochons, crystals, and healing stones, in addition to jewelry. If you work up an appetite, there will be sandwiches and hot drinks for purchase. Best of all, the entrance to this show is free of charge.

 

The combination of visiting the working studio of an award-winning artist and learning what inspires her work and the chance to delve into the world of rocks and minerals is the perfect way to chase the end of the winter blues away!

 

About Tina's Baskets

Tina Puckett is an internationally awarded weaver of baskets and woven arts. You can see her works in her studio #305/ Tina's Baskets. Located at Whiting Mills in Winsted, Connecticut. Tina has been weaving since 1981 using hand-dyed reeds, bittersweet vines, and a variety of found objects like beads or seagrass. Her work is showcased at galleries across the World and as well at her own gallery/studio where you will often find her weaving on weekends from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Appointments are preferred and can be arranged by texting 860-309-6934.

Creating A Ripple Effect Institute For American Indian Studies Joins World Water Day Celebration March 18

On Saturday, March 18, the Institute for American Indian Studies partnered with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, the Steep Rock Association, and the Pomperaug River Watershed Coalition to celebrate World Water Day. This event is being held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the grounds of the Institute at 38 Curtis Road in Washington, Connecticut.

Water is one of the most vital resources for all beings and has important cultural significance in many indigenous communities, not only as a source of life but also as a source of medicine and healing. The Institute is celebrating World Water Day, an initiative by the United Nations, with a series of fun and educational activities. 

The day kicks off with a hike to the Shepaug River with Matt Devine, a fisheries biologist with Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, to learn how to identify a healthy river ecosystem. This experience gives people the opportunity to learn about the importance of sampling, studying, and enhancing fisheries from a scientist that has done this work for more than 12 years. Participants will also gain insight into how local indigenous cultures have used water throughout time. 

In the afternoon, the Pomperaug River Watershed Coalition will present an interactive program on springtime vernal pools and their importance to the local ecosystem. A highlight is to find out which organisms only use vernal pools to raise their young in a pop-up exhibit featuring a fascinating variety of aquariums and terrariums. 

If you like to make things and have fun learning at the same time, don’t miss the chance to create a cornhusk dragonfly with an IAIS educator, that you can take home as a memento of the day. While making the dragonfly, learn about its significance and importance to the indigenous and scientific communities. The day concludes with story time with IAIS Educator, Irene Norman (Mohawk descent) who will tell both traditional and contemporary Native American stories that have connections to water.

Not to be missed while at this event is the current exhibition at the Institute, “Nebizun: Water is Life” that will be on view through the end of March. This exhibition introduces visitors to the Abenaki worldview of the importance of water and features artwork by Abenaki artists of the Champlain Valley and the Connecticut River Valley. 

The tickets for the morning and afternoon portions of this program are $12 for non-members, and $8 for members, respectively. Space is limited so pre-registration is requested. To register visit http://www.iaismuseum.org, email events@iaismuseum.org, or call 860-868-0518. If you are spending the day, it is advisable to pack a brown bag lunch and to dress appropriately if you are planning to participate in outdoor activities. 

 About The Institute for American Indian Studies 

Located on 15 acres of woodland acres the Institute For American Indian Studies preserves and educates through archeology, research, exhibitions, and programs. They have a 16th c. Algonquian Village, Award-Winning Wigwam Escape, and a museum with temporary and permanent displays of authentic artifacts from prehistory to the present allow visitors to foster a new understanding of the world and the history and culture of Native Americans. The Institute for American Indian Studies is located at 38 Curtis Road, Washington, CT.