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craftingvt · 12 years ago

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Elm Grove Farm

As discussed in my previous post, Mackenzie is a big maple syrup fan and her expressions about what maple syrup means to her adds further evidence to the claim that maple syrup is not just maple syrup. For Mackenzie, producing and consuming Vermont maple syrup is about continuing a Vermont tradition that creates a meaningful life for her and her family and friends.

In fact, sugaring goes back generations in Mackenzie’s family. She explained to me with delightful enthusiasm that the tradition goes so far back that she can’t even trace it to when it began. What she does know is that there was a long break in this tradition fifty years ago when her Grandfather was forced to close down the family sugaring operation. Until recently, her family ceased sugaring and only gathered sap to sell to other distributors. In 2004 her uncle started up the sugaring operation again and deliberately used some of the building materials from the old sugarhouse in order to build the new one because of the sentimental value that was tied to the old house.

The operation is part of Elm Grove farm, located in Pomfret, Vermont, and is owned by Mackenzie’s Grandparents. “We have about 1000 taps; 700 on pipeline and 300 on buckets,” she explains, “I go home a lot to gather the 300 buckets. All the buckets are on trees next to the road where they are easier to gather. The trees on pipeline are further away from road”. But collecting the sap is more than just labor- it’s also a fun time for family and friends to commune: “My mother is one of five kids and they all live in Vermont. I live 15 minutes away from the farm – when the sap is running a lot, most of family drives up to farm to gather together. People who enjoy stopping by the farm also come to help, often with friends and family of their own”.

Today, things seem to be going pretty well. “Our name has gotten out there,” exclaims Mackenzie, “and a lot of people return every year, especially on the annual open house weekend. My Grandmother gives out delicious homemade donut holes as a free sample to everyone who visits the sugarhouse”.

When her uncle first began the operation they tried to sell most of their syrup to various country stores. Today, the majority of sales are made to family friends who stop by annually and the yearly regulars who stop by throughout the year. Gradually all of it ends up sold by the time the next sugaring season comes around. A lot of people who stay at the nearby Woodstock Inn will stop by and request that their products to be shipped out of state, even as far as Nebraska.

I asked Mackenzie whether they sold other maple products :

“We mainly sell syrup. In the past we’ve tried to make other products like maple candies but it’s a lot more difficult to make than we thought. It has to be the perfect consistency and the rubber molds we used could never make them come out the right way. We often make maple cream too. But you need to make a lot of it in one go because it requires you to boil the sap past the point of syrup. We still enjoy making maple candies and maple cream on our own as a family, but we don’t sell these products because it’s too difficult for us to get them just right. We do well enough with maple syrup alone to get by”.

This is interesting because it reminds us that these operations are also businesses – they can’t necessarily produce everything that they would want to or in the precise manner that they would like to. Sometimes it just makes more sense to do things a certain way given the resources and time available, and the demands.

Mackenzie also had a lot of useful information to share when I asked her what she thought compelled people to visit the sugaring facilities and what drives their purchasing choices:

“Often I find that people who have never seen sugaring before know absolutely nothing and want to know more about the process. My uncle will give them a tour of the process and the facilities. There’s a wide range of people.. some know nothing, some know a bit, some want to know more about certain process. Some people who already know a lot just want to come to watch it boil because it’s fun to watch! A lot of people want to by the syrup they saw being produced so that they can say, ‘hey, I saw this being made!’. So we often separate products from this year and last year because of the difference in value.”

She also had some interesting things to say about the questions that a lot of the visitors ask and what factor they play in their decisions as customers:

“One of the most consistent questions I get are, ‘how do you determine the grade?’ and ‘what’s the best grade? Fancy’s the best right?’, which I find a funny question because it’s really just your preference! There is no best one – it’s just that the darker the grade, the stronger the maple flavor. I like them all. I mean if you’re cooking then we recommend the darker stuff because it has stronger maple flavor so it requires less product, but if you want it on pancakes then it’s just all about what you prefer. We give them samples of what we just made and they’ll buy whatever they enjoyed from the samples.”

I was also curious to know how her family’s operations deal with competition and whether there were any specific factors that people tend to perceive as “elite” or of higher, high-price worthy quality. In the previous post we briefly mentioned that some methods, especially those perceived as “old-fashioned”, contributed to the perception of the product as higher quality. But competition influences price as well:

“I know the prices can vary but that’s often depending on the area.. we’re right near Sugarbush which is a lot bigger than us.. we have to raise our prices in order to keep up with them. We’ll usually just put our prices a few dollars below theirs. I’ve heard that those in the northeast kingdom have lower prices because they aren’t competing with big operations like Sugarbush. Other than that, most prices hover within $15.00 of each other. Very insignificant hierarchy compared to beer or anything else”

In addition, product presentation contributes to customer satisfaction:

“We just got glass bottles this year! It looks fancier since you can see the syrup. We used to have maple-leaf shaped bottles. But people tend to like the fancy look of the clear bottles. The jugs hold more, but you can’t see the syrup. And the glass bottles show off the quality.. since you can see the syrup you have to be extra careful about how clear it looks. My uncle figured out the best way to do this is to let it sit and reheat off-season after it is made. The clearer it looks, with less bubbles, the more appealing to customers".

I decided that the lengthiness of this post is warranted because of the rich and valuable insight that Mackenzie’s interview responses provide us with. If you have time, be sure to check out the Elm Grove farm website and pay them a visit when you’re in the area: http://www.elmgrovefarm.com/. Thanks Mackenzie!

Sources:

Elm Grove Farm, Pomfret, Vermont. Web. 16 Apr. 2013. <http://www.elmgrovefarm.com/>.

Personal interview with Mackenzie Harrington. 4/3//2013

Photo (1): Personal photo by Mackenzie Harrington

Photo (2): Personal photo by Mackenzie Harrington

Photo (3): Elm Grove Farm Website (http://www.elmgrovefarm.com/images/stories/syrup-pics.jpg)

Response:

I really enjoyed how personal you made this post. It created a family oriented perspective in the production of maple syrup that is very relatable to readers. You mentioned that the grandfather was forced to shut down and I was curious as to what factors led him to do that. You also mentioned that Elm Grove Farm is a business and that they are unable to produce whatever they want to for sale. Mentioning that this is the reason that most craft products are priced so high, limiting those who can afford them, could strengthen this post. I found many similarities between maple syrup production and apple craft after reading this post. Both industries emphasize the importance of personal relationships with their customers, providing them with tours and explanations of the different processes. Overall I thought your personal post was a great way to end your series on Maple Syrup.

-Tabor

#vermontmaple

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craftingvt · 12 years ago

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Tradition is Tasty

Kimberly Roemer

On my way back to Vermont last weekend I took advantage of the opportunity to grab a few pamphlets in an attempt to examine the ways in which factories and farms portray and advertise themselves and their maple syrup products:

Not surprisingly, all of them encouraged consumers to take advantage of most (if not all) of the following :

1) An opportunity to take a tour “behind the scenes” and learn all about their sugaring process and/or family tradition

2) A wide selection of “homemade” or “traditional” Vermont foods and products to choose from

3) FREE maple syrup and food tasting! (and lots of choices)

The purpose of this observation isn’t to state the obvious, but rather to point out what this information can tell us. The fact that these aspects are extremely consistent throughout the ways many of these places advertise and portray themselves is a good indicator that these are the things that interest consumers and contribute to the appeal.

That being said, it isn’t safe to bet on advertising alone. I decided to consult my friend Mackenzie, a UVM student and a Vermonter, who has had lifelong experience as both a maple syrup producer and enthusiast. She enjoys helping out her uncle's sugaring operation as shown in the picture below. Before I interviewed her about her experience as a producer, I asked her about her own experience as a consumer and what maple syrup means to her:

“My family makes pancakes every Sunday, so we need a lot of maple syrup – you can’t have pancakes without maple syrup! Maple syrup and maple sugaring go back hundreds of years – there’s a whole history to it. It’s not just syrup. It’s a Vermont tradition…it’s a Vermont thing. And a family thing, both for people who make it and people who buy it. There’s something really special about it, you know?”

I also asked her what she thinks prompts people to choose one maple syrup grade over another, or one mode of production over another, and if she perceived there to be any sense of “elitism” among different types of producers and consumers:

“There’s a little elitism in maple sugaring, but not as strong as in beer production. I have heard that it’s more valued if the evaporator is wood fired which is what my other uncle has. It’s higher maintenance but it’s more “old-fashioned” which is a big appeal with syrup. Before they had cane sugar in the area people had to use maple sugar. So wood-fired is more traditional and therefore more valued. Some old-timers claim that they can tell the difference in taste, but I don’t know if you really can. It doesn’t taste any different to me! Old-time Vermonters also tend to brag about liking the darker grades, usually so dark that you can’t get it unless you specifically request it or make it yourself. That stuff is too strong for me, though. Most of us prefer Grade A or fancy.”

In my next post I’ll be sharing more information from Mackenzie’s experience on her uncle's farm and what her experience has revealed to her about the worldview behind the choices that consumers make and how maple syrup production is viewed.

Sources:

Personal interview with Mackenzie Harrington. 4/3//2013

Photo (1): Personal photo by me

Photo (2): Personal photo by Mackenzie Harrington

Brochures by Dakin Farm, Eaton's Sugarhouse, Goodrich's Maple Farm, Morse Farm Maple Sugarworks, New England Maple Museum, Sugarbush Farm and Vermont Maple Sugar Makers' Association.

Response:

There is nothing more Vermont than writing about sugaring in the spring, or during sugaring season, we are a state that has far over 4 seasons. I really enjoyed your directness and brevity, with which you executed your post. Your aim was very clear and was successfully supported. Your discussion on how farms chose to advertise themselves, very clearly established a connection between consumer perceived value and producer marketing. I thought that your transition into a first person experience on maple syrup deepened the meaning and evidence in your post. And could relate to her comments about the preferences of old Vermonters. What I found surprising was that she preferred Fancy or Grade A. Most sugarers that I know love B, because it has just enough flavor but is still delicate. Personally, I use C or below for cooking and love B as a condiment or sweetener. My only critique, could be to maybe expand a little bit more on the different processes of gathering and boiling, and how that might distinguish craft maple.

-Kaitrin

#vermontmaple

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craftingvt · 12 years ago

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VT Maple Syrup: Sweet, Savory Myth

Kimberly Roemer

My goals for this portion of this collective research project is to uncover information that will help us answer the following questions: Who is producing maple syrup in Vermont? Who are these producers attempting to target? What is the worldview surrounding the production and consumption of maple syrup in Vermont and what can it tell us about who is being included or excluded in this market and why? A total of three blog entries, including this one, will serve as a presentation of my findings and my reflections in regards to these questions.

I decided to begin my research by examining the ways in which various producers present and market both their products and their histories. I suspected that such presentations might include romanticized histories of Vermont and Maple Sugaring and that such portrayals would allude to the worldview that have the consumers of these products coming back for more. Once we have uncovered exactly what worldview Vermont Maple Syrup producers are marketing, we will have a better idea of who these producers are attempting to target as their main consumers which may shed light on how that worldview influences consumers to make their purchasing decisions.

The following are excerpts from the Vermont Maple Sugar Markers Association website and the New England Maple Museum website. I have made bold the terms and phrases that I find particularly common and/or significant:

Excerpts from the Vermont Maple Sugar Makers Association website (http://vermontmaple.org/about-us/):

“Maple syrup is Vermont’s signature agricultural product with over one million gallons produced in 2011. It is Vermont’s first agricultural crop of each New Year.”

“Long before the first settlers came to Vermont, Native Peoples were collecting the crystal clear sugar maple tree sap and boiling it down into bricks of sweet maple sugar. Today for us, here in the Green Mountains, maple sugaring is a way of life for maple sugaring families, often passed down through many generations.”

Excerpts from the New England Maple Museum website (http://www.maplemuseum.com/indians-and-early-maple-sugaring-process):

“Maple sugaring has been an early Spring tradition in Vermont ever since the Eastern Woodland Indians discovered that maple sap cooked over an open fire produces a sweet sugar.”

“An old Iroquois legend describes the accidental discovery of the sugarmaking process…”

“When the first European settlers arrived, the Indians traded maple sugar with them and eventually taught the settlers the secrets of the maple sugaring process.”

“Maple sugar became the colonists own sweetener ending their dependence on foreign sugar. Also, it was never tinctured with the sweat of the southern slave as was cane sugar before the civil war.”

In these particular descriptions, the history of maple syrup is romanticized in a variety of ways through mythical accounts of the past. First of all, both of these portray sugaring as one of Vermont’s most prized agricultural crops, portray sugaring as an ancient “Indian” or Native practice, and place emphasis on “family tradition”. In addition, adjectives centered around flavor, aroma, and taste are prevalent in both of these descriptions. Indeed, the combination of all of these factors appear to create what may be a compelling romantic appeal for a particular consumer market.

My next blog entry will address the following questions: What happens when we take a look at descriptions and histories presented the websites of producers themselves and individual product labels instead of those presented by the large associations or museums? Will they even present such romanticized histories at all? Or will their marketing focus less on maple syrup folklore and myth and place more of an emphasis on family tradition and quality as a means of attracting consumers to their particular products?

Sources:

"Indians and the Early Maple Sugaring Process." The History of Making Maple Syrup and Candy. Web. 28 Mar. 2013. <http://www.maplemuseum.com/indians-and-early-maple-sugaring-process>.

"Vermont Maple Sugar Makers Association." Vermont Maple Sugar Makers Association RSS. Web. 28 Mar. 2013. <http://vermontmaple.org/about-us>.

Response:

I really like how you are looking at how language may affect how we as consumers view the product. I've been looking at the language used to describe cheese too and am planning on discussing it in my next post because language plays a huge role in how we perceive things. You mention that you want to compare how producers describe maple syrup versus these historical associations, but another thing that might be interesting to look at would be how consumers describe maple syrup. If most producers highlight family tradition as you suspect, then what makes a consumer choose one syrup over another?

-Ashley

#vermontmaple

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