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PETER BOLDUC’S SWEET "OBSESSION"
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Peter Bolduc |
Maple Sugar Sunday---March 24, 2002---over 600 people partake of the
sweetness of nature at Megquier Hill Farm. For weeks, owner Peter Bolduc had
been tapping his 2500 maple trees overlooking Tripp Lake, then boiling the sap
to make hundreds of gallons of syrup to prepare for this year’s event.
The celebration was held on an exceptionally bright, beautiful day, with tent
and tables set up for folks to taste the ambrosia on pancakes or ice cream, in
candy or popcorn. The steamy sweetness inside the sugar shack was preparatory to
the actual tasting. Family and friends helped Peter and his wife Kathie give out
samples and sell the products
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| It’s hard work, but Peter thinks of nothing else but the harvest for most
of the year. He makes syrup for the simple fun of it. Though the season’s
short, he’s invested more than $30,000 in equipment for his two-story
"sugar shack."
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A lot of sap is needed to make a little sugar. As a general rule, the ratio
is 40 to one. And the weather has to be just right. As the day warms, the sap
rises in the tree to feed the growing buds. When it cools, the sap runs back to
prevent it from freezing and bursting the buds. A good run collects the liquid
as it runs in both directions.
Megquier Hill products are available at the Megquier Hill Farm (call first to
make sure someone’s there), at Tripp Lake Variety and at Austin‘s in Auburn.
They’re neat gifts. The bottles themselves are collectibles.
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Maple Sugar Sunday at Megquier Hill Farm |
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