July and August always seem to fly by. Where do those lazy, hazy days of summer go?!
My June and July were filled to the brim with fun and a little bit of work. A lovely revisit to Newfoundland (maybe my 10th time?) was fantastic! Then July was filled with birthdays, a wedding and our annual 4-day Ontario Maple Syrup Producer’s summer gathering. My daughter, Lorraine, turned 50! You probably have spoken to her in the Maple Shop during our busy maple season. Lorraine is a Nanny twice over which makes me so very happy.
Come Home to Pakenham 2023
We couldn’t be more excited about the upcoming Come Home to Pakenham weekend celebration on August 18-20.
So much history to celebrate and I sure hope to see you there!
The OMSPA summer tour (July 19-22) was based this year at Algonquin College in Perth. Three hundred very sweet Maple Syrup Producers gathered together to laugh, learn, tour sugar bushes and camps, savour delicious maple inspired food and share wonderful stories and memories. A big thanks to the hard working committee! It was a great event and ran so smoothly. I was so impressed with the Perth campus of Algonquin College. If you have a family member looking for a great college that teaches practical, hands-on courses, check them out!
I did manage (but mostly thanks to Team Awesome) a little work. I am always excited to deliver our maple syrup and products to lots of local cafes, restaurants and retail shelves. In-person shopping and dining out are on the rebound and we couldn’t be more happy for these businesses. I have so enjoyed visiting markets both local and further away to source more locally made items in our Maple Shop. We are excited to be part of the monthly Dairy Distillery Sunday markets and to supply the maple syrup for their Maple Cream. We are always grateful for new places where you can purchase and indulge in our products or be pampered at the Spa. Check out our website for all the locations!
One of the best accomplishments of the summer so far is partnering with GopherIt Deliveries for a much more affordable local shipping option! When you check out with your order on our Online Store, simply add your postal code to see if your location falls within their delivery radius.
On August 26th, we will be on site with the team at Equator Coffee, Almonte as they celebrate 25 years in business. In August, our family will gather for wonderful food, great stories and well wishes to my three grands heading off to college this fall. In September, we will have a family wedding and celebrate granddaughter, Madeline and her fiancé, Ryan.
The milling continues as Scott and his team work through the maple logs from the May 2022 Derecho storm. We will be adding maple lumber (lots with live edge) to our list of maple items for sale. A true “making lemonade out of lemons” project thanks to Scott’s perseverance and hard work.
Planning for our 2024 Spring Season has begun! Sian, our Kitchen Manager, is researching new gourmet products. I am experimenting with maple syrup infusions. Jaydog will be joining us on select dates during our maple season, with delicious savoury meals to be enjoyed outdoors.
A big thanks to all of you for visiting us at the Maple Shop and for shopping online. Your “shop local” decisions make a huge difference and we truly appreciate your support. Enjoy the last few weeks of summer!
Shirley
