• Home
  • Stories
    • News >
      • 2022 Local Government Elections
    • Learning & Literacy
    • Food, Farming & Fishing >
      • Recipe Collection
    • Culture & Heritage
    • Wellness
    • Environment
    • Opinions, letters and reflections
  • About Us
    • Donate
  • Jobs
    • Job Posting Submission Form
    • Job Postings
  • E-magazine
  • Calendar
  • Albert County
    • Community Directory
    • Churches
    • Living in Albert County
    • Our Villages
    • Attractions
  • Ads
  • Trails
Connecting Albert County

food, farming
​and fishing

One taste and you’re hooked!: Black Sheep Syrup

27/3/2018

5 Comments

 
PictureAngela & Ryan in front of their evaporator
By Angela MacDougall-Smith

It all began in 1970 when Eric Smith, Ryan’s dad, bought a 203-acre property from Herb Ayer. It was an original grant deed from approximately 1850. Eric believes it was a piece of the original woodlot from the family farm, which had run all the way from Edgetts Landing to the Hopewell Rocks. The property had an existing sugar camp which ran for several years starting in 1950. Its remnants can still be seen about 100 feet past our tank shed. Back then, they used sleds pulled by horses for sap collection on well-beaten trails and hand-made bridges which crossed the numerous brooks on the rocky terrain.

Picture
​Eric obtained the property just after his father’s retirement. The two set out with a large project ahead: hoping to harvest wood for their homes and bring the sugar camp back to life. They rebuilt the main road into the property using only a garden tractor, as they did not have any other equipment. After some time they bought their first truck, an International Scout, and their first piece of equipment, a 1945 Cat D6 Bulldozer, which made the road building much easier.

Eric and George started a new camp — a small metal garden shed they were given to match the new siding George had put on his house. They made their own evaporator out of a metal barrel cut in half, and had about 200 taps, mostly with lines, but still a few buckets. Eric’s sisters, Nancy and Audrey, recall George spending nights on end in the little camp while the sap flowed and needed to be boiled. Each season, they made around 20 gallons of syrup which was dispersed among friends and family. They did this every year until George’s death in 1995. In 1996, the equipment was stolen and the roof caved in from snow overload that winter.

For a few years, Eric didn’t stop dreaming of reviving the sugar bush. Slowly he wrangled his son into seeing the same vision. In 2000, they poured the foundation for the new camp and the metal shell for the 1600-ft² building went up. As the years rolled on, they collected equipment from maple operations that were closing. Finally, in 2015, the sap ran through lines on the hill again.

The tradition of the maple harvest continues. Ryan and I are now the third operation to run this sugar bush. We have 2,000 taps, 10% of these on birch trees. Many things have changed over the years, but we try to stay traditionally and environmentally conscious. We boil on a 15-foot-long second-hand wood-fired evaporator from Elgin, which holds approximately 100 gallons and burns about 1 cord of wood every 1½ hours. We use wood from our own property, which Ryan and his uncle Eldon cut in the summer. We have a tank shed that can hold around 5,000 gallons of sap; the only piece of modern machinery is our vacuum pump. Our camp runs off solar power, as does the well, which gives us a comfortable place to stay during the sometimes long maple season.

We decided on the name ‘Black Sheep Maples’ for a few reasons, but the main one being we only want to make dark syrup. We use Boston Round medicine bottles to remind people that food is medicine, and of the bountiful food supply surrounding us in nature. We love the deep flavour of our syrup;  our customers tell us it reminds them of the ‘good ole days.’ It is about traditions and we need to keep them alive.

Ryan Smith & Angela MacDougall-Smith run Black Sheep Maples under the umbrella of their farm, Fundy Farms: local harvest. In their market garden in Edgetts Landing, they grow dry beans, herbs, fruit and more. This is their 3rd season running the sugar bush. Their Dark Maple Syrup and Birch- Maple Syrup can be purchased at Corn Crib Moncton, Kredls Corner Market, the Hillsborough Farmers’ Market and at their roadside stand during the summer months. Visit them online at www.facebook.com/FundyFarmslocalharvest/ or contact Angela at angela.macdougall@yahoo.ca or 506-851-9911.

​
Angela MacDougall-Smith & Ryan Smith run “Black Sheep Maples” under the umbrella of  “Fundy Farms: local harvest” in Edgetts Landing.

5 Comments
Deborah Carr link
4/4/2018 03:39:29 pm

What a lovely story, Angela! You are now part of the land's history. My husband and I have fond memories of cross-country skiing through the property when we lived in the Cape. It was always so peaceful, and such beautiful hardwoods.

Reply
Melody Land
4/4/2018 07:07:21 pm

It makes my heart happy to drive by the farm. When I was little my best friend lived in your house, Angela, and we would dream about the big house and explore the wood. Great article of beautiful traditions continuing to thrive!

Reply
Vincent Guimond
5/8/2018 12:11:25 pm

For me, your maple syrup is the only one. I buy it at the corn crib, however I have several empty bottles and was wondering if I drop them at the corn crib for you guys to pick them up and reuse them....please let me know...Vincent

Reply
Angela MacDougall
7/8/2018 11:14:39 am

Hi Vincent. Thank you for supporting our business. It’s very rewarding to hear from people that love our syrup after all the hard work required to make it.
Yes we do take back the bottles. You could leave them at Corn Crib, our farmstand or we are at the Hillsborough Farmers Market Saturdays and the Riverview Market Wednesdays.

Reply
Karen scott
9/7/2020 11:20:03 am

Can’t get to Alma this year. Do you ship to Ontario?

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Food, Farming & Fishing

    ​Connecting Albert County would like to thank the following supporters & advertisers:

    Platinum supporters
    - Bennett and Albert County Health Care (BACH) Foundation  
    ​- Albert County Pharmacy
    ​​- Hon. Rob Moore, MP for Fundy Royal


    Gold supporters
    - CBDC Westmorland Albert 
    - ​Albert County Funeral Home​​


    Silver supporters
    - 
    Albert County Chamber of Commerce 
    ​ - Foods of the Fundy Valley​
    - Hon. Mike Holland, Minister, MLA-Albert 

     - Fundy Highlands Motel and Chalets

    Bronze supporters
    - ​Chipoudy Communities Revitalization Committee (CCRC)

    - Jeff MacDougall, SouthEastern Mutual Insurance ​

    If you would like to support Connecting Albert County, visit our Advertising page or Donation page. With your support, we can continue to share the news of rural Albert County.

    Comments
    We welcome comments to our blog postings. Please provide your email address and name with your comment, and respect our content guidelines.

    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    August 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    November 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    September 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    July 2016
    June 2016
    April 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    January 2015

    Categories

    All
    2017
    Acadian Culture
    ACE
    ACORN
    Activities
    Affordable Transportation
    Agriculture
    Albert County
    Albert County Appreciation Days
    Albert County Health And Wellness
    Albert County Historical Society
    Albert County Museum
    Albert County NB
    Alma
    Alma Fleet Launch
    Angela MacDougall
    Artisans
    A Taste Of Fundy
    Baked Beans
    Bay Of Fundy
    Bee
    Beehive
    Beekeeper
    Beekeeping
    Bees
    Beet
    Bee Wise Beekeepers
    Beginnings
    Bread
    Bulgogi
    Canada 150
    Catalogues
    Challenge
    Chicken
    Children And Nature
    Climate Change
    Community
    Community Food Action Grant
    Community Food Smart
    Community Garden
    Community Kitchen
    Contest
    Cookbook
    Cooking
    COVID
    Crop
    Cuisine
    Curryville
    Curryville Community
    Curryville Community Outreach
    Curryville Outreach
    Diet
    Dietitian
    Dill Pickle
    Diversity In The Kitchen
    Eat Healthy
    Eating From Scratch
    Eating Healthy
    Eating Locally
    Ecology Action Center
    Elgin
    Elgin Eats
    Entrepreneur
    Facebook
    Facts
    Fair
    Farmer Brown's
    Farmers Market
    Farmers' Market
    Farming
    FFV
    Fiddleheads
    First Nations
    Fishing
    Fishing Fleet Launch
    Flowers
    Food
    Food Bank
    Food Banks Canada
    Food Forest
    Food Heritage
    Food Insecurity
    Food Items
    Food Of The Fundy Valley
    Food Security
    Food Smart
    Foods Of The Fundy Valley
    Food Waste
    Foraging
    Forest Dale Home
    Forest Dale Nursing Home
    Free Event
    Fricot
    Fricot & Frittata
    Frost
    Fruit
    Funding
    Fundraising
    Fundy Farms
    Fundy Fresh
    Fundy National Park
    Garden
    Gardening
    Garden Of Salem
    German Bakery
    Goosetongue Greens
    Greenhouse
    Greens
    Groceries
    Grocery Store Trips
    Hakka Yong Tau Fu
    Healthy
    Healthy Eating
    Hearth & Hive
    Heirloom Seeds
    Heirloom Vegetables
    Heme
    Herbal Teas
    Herbs
    Heritage Seeds
    Hillsborough
    Hillsborough Farmers Market
    Hillsborough Fresh Mart
    Home Cooking
    Hopewell Rocks
    Horizon Health
    Hummus
    Immune System
    Iron
    Kale
    Kids
    Kids Activities
    Kids In The Kitchen
    Kimchi
    Kitchen
    Lacto-fermentation
    Leftovers
    LFA 35
    LFA 36
    Loblaws
    Lobster
    Lobster Fishing
    Lobster Recipes
    Lobster Season
    Lobster Season 2021
    Local
    Local Food
    Local Food Movement
    Maple
    Maple Baked Brie
    Maple Butter Tarts
    Maple Fest
    Maple Scones
    Maple Sugar
    Maple Syrup
    Maple Trees
    March Break
    Market
    Meal Planning
    Meals
    Mi'kmaq
    Mineral
    NB
    New Brunswick
    New Horizons
    New Horizons For Seniors
    Non-heme
    Nuts
    Old Fashion Christmas
    Open Farm Day
    Organic Vegetables
    Pantry Challenge
    Partnership
    Philippines
    Planting
    Planting Dates
    Prepared Meals
    Province Of New Brunswick
    RBC Foundation
    RCS
    Recipe
    Recipes
    Resiliency
    Riverside-Albert
    Riverside Consolidated School
    Riverview
    Salad
    Salsa
    Samphire Greens
    Sauerkraut
    Scallop
    Scallops
    Schedule
    School Gardens
    Seafood
    Seed
    Seeds
    Seedsaving
    Seed Saving
    Seed Swap
    Seedy Saturday
    Seniors
    Shellfish
    Shepody
    Shepody Food Bank
    Shop Local
    Spanakopita
    Spring
    Sprouts
    Strawberry
    Substitutes
    Sugaring
    Summer Savory
    Swap Table
    Tapping Trees
    Tele-drive Albert County
    The Old Church Farmers Market
    Tips
    Traditional Recipes
    Vegetable
    Vegetables
    Vendors
    Vitamins
    Volunteers
    Wabanaki
    Wabanaki Tree Spirit Tours
    Walnuts
    Wharf
    Workshops

    RSS Feed

CONTACT
ADVERTISING
CALENDAR
PUBLICATION

SiteLock
Copyright © Connecting Albert County, 2021 | Albert County, New Brunswick, Canada
  • Home
  • Stories
    • News >
      • 2022 Local Government Elections
    • Learning & Literacy
    • Food, Farming & Fishing >
      • Recipe Collection
    • Culture & Heritage
    • Wellness
    • Environment
    • Opinions, letters and reflections
  • About Us
    • Donate
  • Jobs
    • Job Posting Submission Form
    • Job Postings
  • E-magazine
  • Calendar
  • Albert County
    • Community Directory
    • Churches
    • Living in Albert County
    • Our Villages
    • Attractions
  • Ads
  • Trails