Sugaring is a Family Affair
For Rochester Partners
By Martha Slater

The magic of maple sugaring attracts whole families this time of year in Vermont. In Rochester, three families, mom, dad and the kids have gotten together to operate a modest but sweet sugaring operation at Apple Hill Farm on Route 73. (Herald / Tim Calabro) Sugaring season is in high gear just now, with cold nights and warming days.

Two Rochester families, the Paquettes and the McKinleys, and their friend, Walt Wells, formed a partnership four years ago that has become an eagerly-awaited spring tradition for all concerned.

Walt and his partners, Tom and Terry Paquette and Dan and Peggy McKinley, the Paquette kids, Sarah (now a freshman at Maine Maritime Institute) and Allyson, a freshman at RHS; and the McKinley kids, Liam, freshman at RHS and Jorah, seventh grader, began sugaring together in 2004. They share the hard work, the resulting maple syrup, and all the fun they have producing it.

Early Tuesday evening, March 27, spreading tendrils of mist were forming over the rapidly melting snow on the fields as Tom, Dan, Walt, and their friend, Dwayne LeClair, joked around with each other and a reporter in the doorway of their 12 by 16 ft. sugarhouse. Inside, the steam billowed above and the flames roared below their wood-fired 18 in. by 6 ft. arch as they boiled sap they had collected that day. As of March 27, they had made 12 and a half gallons and set themselves the goal of making 30. In 2004, they made 25 gallons; in 2005, 20 gallons; and last year, 24 gallons.  

Verifying those figures, Tom makes a quick check of the handwriting on the wall of their compact sugarhouse, which was built from a kit by Ron Halter, who owned Apple Hill Farm before the present owners, Bob and Jan Aviano, bought it. The Avianos, who don’t sugar, are happy to have the partners use their sugarhouse and ask for nothing in return (they do get some syrup).

With 145 taps (55 buckets and 90 taps on plastic tubing) their operation has grown from just 100 taps four years ago. They estimate that their sugarbush is spread over about 20 acres on Apple Hill Farm on Route 73.

"We’ve identified every maple on the place!" joked Dan, who like the others, works for the Forest Service.

Having grown up in large families (between them, they have over 30 siblings!) Tom, Dan and Walt are masters at the art of cooperation. During sugaring season, they estimate that they spend an average of six or seven hours a day (and as much as 10 sometimes), depending upon the weather, working together.

"It’s a team effort," Tom said. "We all do each others jobs."

Tom and Dan had both had small backyard operations before, but Walt was new to sugaring. Since they formed their partnership, they say they’ve been the lucky recipients of a great deal of advice (both solicited and unsolicited) from other sugarmakers in the area.

"Ralph Darrah said he’s told us everything we need to know, but not everything he knows!" Walt noted.

Terry, Peggy and the kids are all integral parts of the crew and a lot of meals get cooked and eaten (goulash was on Tuesday night’s menu) at the sugarhouse. Last year, the whole gang had Easter Sunday dinner together there.

Allyson noted that her older sister Sarah said she was missing sugaring now that she’s gone back to college. Asked to pick what’s the most fun about sugaring, Allyson didn’t hesitate. "Beating my dad at cards!" she answered with a grin. Liam also had no trouble choosing what he liked best: driving the John Deere "Gator" to gather sap. Both agreed that taste-testing the syrup was definitely another perk.

"It’s a lot of work, but we have a lot of fun, too," Dan concluded. "We’re already thinking about ways to improve things next year."

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