Hello and welcome to the first of our "SPOTLIGHT" series, where we showcase the producers/makers/local farmers/artisans/organizations that we are working with to let you know a little bit more about them and why we chose to connect with them.
Considering Honeycone officially opened in mid October and we are all about autumn in New England, it only seems fitting that in our first SPOTLIGHT series, we talk about the delicious maple syrup that goes into our Maple Walnut, one of our favorite fall flavors.
Just over the Connecticut River in the town of East Haddam, Erik Anderson taps about 700 trees a year. 180 of these are on his property, and the remainder spread throughout three other locations in town. In total, this yields about 8,000 gallons of raw sap which then gets boiled down to about 200 gallons of the precious syrup that we then get to put on our pancakes, or in our ice cream.
Photo courtesy of ctmaplesyrup.com
They strongly believe in supporting small farms and using sustainable practices to source their sap and sustain the health of the trees. As one of only a few maple farms in the area that is open to the public, it is special in its accessibility and allowing people to stop by, see the sugarhouse itself (in such a beautiful location, too) and even pick up a bottle to go from the farm stand. Erik has been tapping trees and making syrup since he was 12 and has over 25 years of collected knowledge in this skill and art form. It was a family tradition, so this knowledge was passed on to him and he is now passing it onto his children, who help him each year with the harvest, which begins in January and ends in March.
Photo courtesy of ctmaplesyrup.com
The farm stand is located at 75 Daniels Rd, East Haddam CT and is open 9-5. It operated on the honor system. You can call ahead to arrange another time for pickup. They always have maple syrup available, and sometimes they even have maple candy, maple cream, and maple sugar. Pricing is competitive considering the very high quality of their product. Stop by to check them out if you're in the area! And even if you're not, they do offer free shipping. You can check their Facebook and Instagram for updates on when they're boiling and to stay up to date with what's happening at any point in time.
From their website: "We believe it is important to educate the public about this remarkable New England tradition and how our woodlands can be sustainably used to provide great tasting, healthy food. Small farms across America give back to their local communities and help people to understand the connection between the food we eat and the land we live on."
Thanks to Anderson Sugarhouse for your dedication to education, sustainability, accessibility, and family tradition. Oh, and for the maple syrup that we will continue to pour into our Maple Walnut ice cream!
