Yesterday, we visited Dragonwood Sweet & Savory Enchantments, a maple syrup and honey farm in Kempton, IN. The weather was a lovely 60* and the sap was flowing wildly.
These are the folks from whom we bought loads of maple syrup for ourselves and others last year. They are vendors at several local farmer's markets and are always eager to explain their business to us.
I love the story of how they began, as told to us yesterday. When she was 12, their daughter wanted to have a booth at the farmer's market to sell some fairies she had made. Three years later, because of her eagerness to grow the fledgling business, the entire family is involved and the business has expanded to include both honey and maple syrup. They offer maple sugar candy and the most delicious maple cotton candy. This is now the full time work of her parents.
We spent an afternoon learning about modern day maple syrup production. What one would assume involved a tap and a bucket, nowadays involves vacuum mathematics, pistons, reverse osmosis, and laser levels to assure that the sap flows downhill in Indiana...no small feat!!
This day of hands on learning is a clear example of why we choose to homeschool.
Emptying sap bags and learning about the tubing system and sap ladders (yes, that is a kid in a space suit...another reason I love homeschooling! Be yourself!).
Maple bark rubbings, the evaporator, and the sweet and savory enchantments at the end of the tour. Mmmmm!
Namaste
